Team VRSZ: Volume Two
by NewDreamer
Summary: Things are beginning to change in Fortuna. Clair de Lune has left for the reconstruction project and left her home in the care of VRSZ. It would've been easy, if Violet didn't jinx them with the infamous phrase: "What could go wrong?" Battles are fought, friendships born and tested, and the dark pasts of two VRSZ members begin to surface. Also several buildings will be destroyed.
1. Number One Fans, Team CLSH

**Setting: Team VRSZ Base**

It was morning in Fortuna and the sun shined brightly. The sunlight glimmered through the window of Violet's room and the rays danced on her eyes causing her to wake up. Violet groaned in annoyance, slowly sat up in her bed, and rubbed her eyes to clear her vision. However, she came to realize something was amiss. Violet scanned her room, it was quiet and no one else was in it which was something she found odd.

"Where's Remus?" she said aloud.

Remus is usually the one who wakes her up every morning as her personal alarm, waking her up by getting in her personal space with his oblivious nature. She ceased trying to stop his intrusions long ago seeing as how he wasn't going to get the message and stop on his own. After some time, she actually grew accustomed to his visits, it was part of her normal day but today was different.

 _"Guess he's not coming today."_ Violet thought as she got out of bed and got ready for the day. Fully dressed, she walked downstairs to see the usual sight she sees every morning; Silver cooking breakfast with the other two sitting at the table looking hungry. Before she made it to the bottom of the stairs, Violet noticed something missing, there was no scent of food cooking, no eggs, toast or anything.

Silver anointed himself the team's chef whether he knew it or not. Violet was a very meticulous person before VRSZ. Her meals were just simple egg whites and toast, but Silver showed disgust when he learned that was her meal plan. Silver took it upon himself to cook real meals that everyone would enjoy. He told them that his previous work involved him cooking for others but he never really mentioned anything else. VRSZ agreed to intervals on who cooks but it proved ineffective because Silver kind of took complete control of the kitchen area, now he is the only one that cooks but the others aren't complaining, his food was mouth-watering.

Not only was there no food being cooked but there was no Remus or Silver or Zelts downstairs. The living room and the kitchen were completely vacant. She walked down the hallway where each of their rooms were but didn't see them in any of them, making Violet grow suspicious and made her realize how alone she was before her boys came along.

Violet couldn't understand why her boys weren't home yet. She remembered that yesterday Silver and Remus went out to an easy bounty mission because Silver was tired of eliminating Grimm and asked Remus to tag along. They were taking too long so Violet asked Zelts to find them and bring them back bounty or not, but that was yesterday and no one came back.

"What the hell is going on?" Violet said kind of hoping someone would answer. She went to the garage to get to her car and drive to Fortuna, the only other place the remaining members could be, unfortunately for Violet, her car was gone, she just remembered that Silver used it but never came back. This only made Violet's job all the more difficult as she was left with no other choice than to walk to Fortuna.

 **Setting: Moneta**

This was a better place to start than anywhere else Violet concluded as she was making her way to Fortuna. If she was going to find her friends then Moneta is the place to find clues or ask Sterling if he saw them. She turned the corner to see not only Moneta but also her jeep which was empty except for several people who were standing around it. Violet quietly observed them for a while hoping they weren't thieves. Upon closer inspection, Violet could see that there were four of them and they were all girls but more importantly they didn't seem to be attempting any thievery, instead they seemed to be admiring or maybe fawning over her car. They seemed harmless if Violet judged them by appearance alone but she knew better than to make assumptions based on what a person looks like and she did notice that each of them were armed with different weapons so this could go either way.

"Uh, excuse me. What are you doing?" Violet asked trying to not to start a fight, not while she was looking for her missing team. The admiration of the car stopped when the girls looked at the source of the question. They were in stunned silence as each of them looked at Violet whom was a little freaked out but got a good look at each of them. If she had to guess, she would say they were younger than Remus, at least around thirteen or fourteen.

"OH MY GOSH! IT'S YOU, IT'S REALLY YOU!" one of the girls finally spoke with a big smile. The girl had pinkish red hair fashioned in bangs with pigtails and red eyes to match. She had a baby face and looked like the type that would be positive and bubbly all the time, the type Violet had a hard time dealing with. She wore a red shirt with a big black bow on her chest that made her look like a life-size doll and she sported a short red wrap skirt that would've been inappropriate if she wasn't wearing black leggings and basic black and white running shoes. If Violet had to choose one word to describe this girl, it would be cute, but the type of cute that made her seem unable to defend herself in any way. The girl was definitely the shortest of the group and most likely the youngest, however, Violet did notice she was wearing some kind of high-tech waist bag that reminded Violet of her ordinary that holds her Vorpal Swords. The question was what was this girl holding in the bag.

The second girl was silent but looked at Violet with the same fascination the other girls held. This girl was the tallest and the most physically fit out of the others. She had short green hair that reached down to her neck. She was wearing a dark green sports bra that showed of her tone physique that probably rivaled Violet's and she also had two different colored bandages wrapped around her hands, arms, and abdomen. The bandages on her left arm and abdomen were white and the bandages on her right arm were red. Around her waist seemed to be some kind of training gi she wasn't wearing but was still wrapped around her if she decided to put it on and beneath that were black fitness cargo pants. Unlike the other girls, she didn't have any weapons, nothing unconventional or hidden, just nothing but she did exert strength. The girl appeared to be the oldest so maybe she was playing babysitter.

The third girl reminded Violet of Turquoise which she didn't like but it was mostly in the hair. They both had blue hair and she had the same pixie cut hairstyle but this girl's hair was a much darker shade and her pixie cut was more shaggy and had longer flipped tresses that covered the left side of her face like a veil. Her outfit mainly consisted of a sleeveless denim jumpsuit that ended at her thighs, stockings that were black and pink in stripe pattern that reached to the bottom of her knees and a pair of worn blue sneakers to match. She wore some kind of shirt underneath the jumpsuit because Violet could clearly see the sleeves of a dark blue shirt and that it has a hood but that's all she could see. If cute was used to describe the first girl, then the word for this girl was tomboy. It could be seen in her appearance and demeanor. She was also wearing a pair of sleek armored gauntlets that looked like they were some kind of weapon.

The last girl was dressed in an outfit that seemed a little more practical compared to the others. She had honey colored hair fashioned in a bun with bangs. She wore a pair of black glasses over her yellow eyes, a dark yellow shirt with black buttons, tan jean shorts, and black tennis shoes. She was equipped with a some kind of high-tech but peculiar backpack similar to the first girl's waist bag and on her arms were high-tech arm guards that could be weapons as well. Out of all the girls this one seemed very reserved, expressing less emotion than the others and averting eye contact if Violet looked her way.

"You know who I am?" Violet asked after analyzing these girls who were still happy to see her and the red haired one was getting even more excited now that Violet was talking to her.

"Of course! Who doesn't know about VRSZ, you guys are famous!" she practically screamed and the others silently nodded in agreement. Violet had no idea what to do in this situation so she asked another question. "What are you doing to my car?" she asked nonthreatening seeing as the mean no harm.

The red haired girl was beginning to stutter so her green haired friend spoke in her place. "We've become admirers of yours every since we heard about how you were fighting Royal's men, something no one had the guts to do." Then the blue haired girl spoke next.

"And when we heard that you drove Royal out we wanted to become strong like you guys so we made our own team."

"Your own team?" Violet said surprised they want to fight at such a young age.

"Team CLSH!" the red haired one shouted loud enough for others outside of the conversation to hear.

"My name is Cerise Sanguine, this is Loden Take, Sapphire Velum, and Hazel Vespid." Cerise said about the green haired, blue haired and honey haired girl respectively.

"Nice to meet you all, but you never told me why you were at my car when my own tea-" Violet stopped remembering why she's here in the first place. "Dammit, where are they?" she grumbled to herself more than to the girls but they heard every word.

"Um..We..found your jeep here but..but no one was around so we thought there wouldn't be any harm at looking at it. We're very sorry." Hazel said submissively then bowed in apology while her friends didn't.

Violet sighed. "Don't worry it's alright. I actually came here to see why my team hasn't come back yet so the only ones who need to apologize are my boys." Violet said and the girls suddenly looked happy. "She said it, she said her boys." Cerise squealed making Violet feel uncomfortable. _"Is it really that special?"_ she thought.

"Well it was nice meeting you girls. I hope we can meet again." Violet said before walking into Moneta and hearing the girls whisper and gossip. Violet felt overwhelmed talking to them because they were the one thing she never thought she had to deal with, fans. VRSZ's work has become well known in Fortuna but she didn't think it would inspire others to bear arms and try to be like them.

Violet entered Moneta and looked over to the main desk, the usual spot to find the building's proprietor, Sterling Vantablack. Moneta has changed in some ways after Royal's leave. There were more people accepting missions and not just low-life bounty hunters but respectable people trying to help for the better. Guess it was true that VRSZ inspired people. With Royal gone the criminal underground crumbled resulting in fewer bounty missions but no one was complaining but as crime was going down, for some reason, Grimm were being spotted more frequently which shouldn't be happening since everyone is actually more positive and exhibiting less negative emotions, something that attracts Grimm. Grimm were becoming more common but they haven't proven to be any real threat, yet.

Violet found Sterling at his desk like she always does. "Hello Miss Violet, how are you this fine day?" Sterling asked.

"Hi Sterling. I'm not really doing so well, I haven't seen my teammates since yesterday or this morning. Have you seen them?" Violet asked hoping he have all the answers like always.

"Really? I was hoping they were with you. I remember seeing Master Silver and Master Remus coming to take a bounty mission then leaving but that was all. Master Zelts came by a few hours later and asked me the same question then left when I told him who they were hunting." Sterling explained.

"Who were they after?" Violet asked. "I have a printed copy of the bounty right here." Sterling said as he shuffled through paper and presented the bounty to Violet.

 **Malinda the Alluring Viper: $4,000**

The woman in the picture looked to be in her late teens or nearly twenties. She had long black hair that reached to her back and bright green eyes that was probably part of the reason she was given the nickname Viper. She wore a dark dress that looked more like a robe, it was very revealing and showed off her body If Violet were a boy, she might've thought she was attractive. It had a snake design along the leg and it looked like it reached to the back. She had manicured nails with purple paint on it. A fact she almost overlooked was that Malinda was a faunus. Violet could see it in her mouth, she had the fangs of a serpent and probably had a forked tongue.

 _"Someone like this shouldn't be a real problem for Silver or Remus. If I want to find them I better start by finding this lady."_ Violet thought to herself.

"Thank you Sterling, I really appreciate the help." Violet said politely.

"No problem Miss Violet and I hope you and your new friends find your team." Sterling said confusing Violet.

"New friends?" Violet repeated. Sterling looked over Violet's shoulder and Violet turned around to see what he was talking about. Behind her were the girls she met earlier, Team CLSH. "Hello" Cerise said and Violet shrieked in surprise.

 **Setting: Fortuna**

In an unknown building in an unknown living room, Zelts was doing handstand push-ups shirtless while Silver was simply standing next to some kind of makeshift throne. The two of them were unusually silent except for Zelts's grunting from doing exercise. A door opened and Remus walked through it then held it open for someone else. Walking through the door was Malinda.

"Thank you precious." Malinda said sweetly as she petted his head and Remus closed his eyes and leaned into it. She walked to her chair with Remus following faithfully behind her. She stopped when she saw Zelts covered in sweat doing his physical activity.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about you, hmmmm" She contemplated whether or not to have him stop. She looked at Zelts's muscular body and purred internally. "Keep going." she commanded and Zelts continued as she took a seat on her throne with Remus at her side and Silver on the other. Malinda continued to scratch and pet Remus on the head until she heard groaning.

"Grr...rr..rrg...arrgh...grr." Silver said looking like he was in pain trying to think of something. Malinda ceased playing with Remus and gave Silver her full attention. "Now, now, it's okay. Calm down now."

"I'll...ge...t...y..ou..grr." Silver struggled to say before Malinda cupped his face with her hands and brought her face close to his to look him directly in the eyes.

"Shhh it's okay, there's no need to fight anymore. I'll keep you safe. Believe me Silver." when said this her green eyes flashed and changed to dark blue. "Vi...let..hel..p." Silver stopped his groaning and his eyes changed from the usual black to dark blue. Silver was something no one thought he could ever be, silent and obedient. Remus and Zelts also displayed the same dark blue eyes.

"There we go, all better." Malinda said then pressed her lips onto Silver's forehead then resumed to petting Remus. In her content she noticed how Silver said Violet's name. _"Every now and then when I need to use Trance, they each mention that girl's name."_ Malinda thought as she looked at Remus who was smiling in bliss which made her smile as well but behind her smile was venom at the amount of influence one girl had on her new collection.

"Maybe we should pay her a visit." Malinda said parting her mouth revealing her fangs and a forked tongue that she used to lick her lips playfully.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Cerise is a bright or deep red color and is french for cherry which is her symbol. Sanguine is a blood red color and is used to describe someone who is optimistic even in bad or difficult situations.**

 **Loden is a dark green color. Her last name, Take, is the Japanese word for bamboo which is her symbol and helps describe Loden as a strong, stable, supportive person. Her outfit is based on Japanese martial artists.**

 **Sapphire is named after the color and gem. Velum is latin for veil or concealing which plays a part in her semblance. Her symbol is a mask.**

 **Hazel is an eye color that is either considered light brown or green with a yellow pigmentation. Vespid is the name of a family of bees which is Hazel's theme. Her symbol is a yellow jacket.**

 **Malinda has several meanings including black/dark serpent. She is based on Kaa from The Jungle Book.**

 **Age:**

 **Cerise: 13 Loden: 15 Sapphire: 14 Hazel: 14 Malinda: 20**


	2. VRSZ Malinda

**Setting: Moneta**

"Excuse me?" Violet questioned not believing what Team CLSH was saying.

"Um..we...we'd like to help you to..uh..." Hazel began to speak but her she was too shy to continue or look Violet in the eye.

"We'd like you help you find your fellow teammates ma'am," Loden said in a formal manner Violet wasn't expecting but it didn't change what she was going to say.

"...No," Violet responded astonishing all of them.

"But-" Cerise was about to speak but Violet interrupted.

"Sorry, but this is a serious manner, if there's something out there that got my team, then I can't look for them and look after all of you at the same time."

What Violet was saying was a little harsh but true. These girls were obviously new to this team thing and going on a possibly dangerous rescue mission was probably too much for them and too much for Violet to cover for each of them.

"But we can fight and we're good at it. We've been practicing so we know what we're doing," Sapphire said trying to convince Violet but she didn't seem to waver in her decision so Cerise decided to do the only thing she thought would work, begging.

"Please, please, please, please, pleeeaaasseee!" Cerise was on her knees gripping Violet's leg causing her to stagger a little.

"N-No!" Violet said no longer tolerating such behavior.

"Please, we really want to show you what we can do. You and your team are the reason we became a team. Showing you how good we are would really mean a lot to us," Cerise said trying to win her role model's favor and Violet felt a little guilty knowing that she was someone's inspiration and now she was dashing their hopes of being a team. Something her family did to her and she was determined not to be like them.

"Alright, I'll do with you all what I did with Remus when I first met him; Come with me and prove that you are capable fighters." Violet said with a grin. Heck, she did this when she met Remus and it proved to be one of the best decisions she's ever made, maybe doing the same thing with this new team can be beneficial.

"YES!" Cerise shouted but recomposed herself in front of her idol. "I-I mean thank you for allowing us to come with you." Cerise tried to recover from her embarrassment but Violet chuckled in amusement and so did the rest of CLSH.

 _"Not sure what to make of them right now. If anything, they're entertaining,"_ Violet thought with delight.

"Let's go, we have to find my teammates." Violet led the girls out of Moneta.

"Found'em," Sapphire said pointing directly in front of Violet who turned to see what she was talking about. On the other side of the street was her friends, Remus, Silver, and Zelts, not to mention a woman standing with them. Violet recognized the woman immediately from her wanted poster.

"Malinda the Viper, I'm glad you brought my boys back to me, I was getting worried," Violet said trying to look confident but she knew something was very wrong, especially when she noticed each of her teammates shared the same peculiar shade of dark blue in their eyes. This was very irregular and it was obvious Malinda has something to do with it.

"I'm sorry, but _MY_ boys and myself are here to see you, the thing is I never like travelling alone so I take it upon myself to acquire some... local assistance. Lucky for me, two of your former friends came to me then the other showed up and now I have my own personal entourage." Malinda wrapped one arm around Silver's shoulder and the other around Zelts'. Her words and actions made Violet's eye twitch in irritation.

"What did you do to them," Violet asked in a low threatening tone that everyone noticed. Team CLSH, who have been standing by and watching the two ladies converse and thought Violet was going to lose it which frightened them a little.

Malinda unhooked her arms from Silver and Zelts then wrapped them both around Remus's neck while resting her head on top of his. Her toying with the boys only fueled Violet's anger. "I merely used my semblance to make them more agreeable with my wishes." She brought her cheek up to Remus's cheek and rubbing against it. "I can make them do whatever I want." She said seductively. "It works on everyone, but I prefer to use it on men, the opposite sex is so much easier to trick."

Violet knew what she was doing, trying to goad her so she would lose her cool and mess up, a cheap trick but it was working. Violet took a deep breath to calm herself. If she wasn't careful she would be the next one under her spell.

"Unfortunately there is a problem with my new collection. They're more difficult to control than most men," Malinda complained making Violet grin in triumph.

"My boys aren't like most men."

"And THAT is the problem, they're your boys. They sometimes say your name when they're with me, most women would find it extremely rude if a man spoke another woman's name in their presence and I am no exception."

"I guess my boys know a good thing when they see it." Violet quipped and the members of Team CLSH tried to suppress their laughter while Malinda was now the one angry but she quickly changed her expression into a smile.

"Let's see if they feel the same way after you're gone. Take her out!" Malinda ordered and the men of VRSZ attacked Violet.

Violet ran forward so team CLSH couldn't enter the battle before she can assess the situation. She has fought with her team long enough to know how they fight so going on her own was best for now. The first to meet her in combat was of course Remus with his spatha sword, Velocitas Eradico. Violet grabbed both Vorpal Sword daggers from their holsters and used them to block his attack. The sound of metal clashing caused the citizens to pay attention to the fight then flee to avoid being collateral damage. With the two of them bearing down on each other and neither backing down, Violet tried to reason with her friend. "Remus snap out of it!" Violet shouted but to no avail. Verbal responses were not going to end this.

Silver appeared next to her with his dual handguns, Ceasefire. He pointed one of them at Violet's head and fired but Violet dodged by ending her standoff with Remus and pulling her head back, but above her she saw Zelts in the air with his shield The Wings of Icarus as he tried to fall on top of her using said weapon. Violet used the momentum of dodging Silver's attack to do a back flip and move out of the way. Zelts fell onto Remus and Silver instead and that's when Violet noticed something, their moves were sloppy.

 _"Remus's reactions are a lot slower than usual, Silver doesn't like using his guns for close combat and he's a much better shot than that, and Zelts would never attack if it harmed the others...They may be under her control but keeping them under control is limiting their own fighting capabilities,"_

She back flipped to CLSH as the boys were recovering. "I need your help."

"Come again?" Sapphire said hoping she said something else.

"You wanted to prove yourselves to me so here's your chance. I need your help to beat Malinda and I think you can do it by taking down my team. They're not fighting the way they usually do which is good cause I think that means you can take them on. Her semblance is making them fight but fight poorly. The very thing putting us in danger might be the only thing giving us a chance," Violet spoke as quickly as possible before the boys could get up.

Cerise looked to her teammates. Loden nodded, Sapphire was reluctant but smiled her approval, and Hazel gave her the smallest smile. "You're right, we wanted to prove ourselves to you, now's a good a time as any." Cerise said putting her hand behind her back.

She reached into one of the bags on her waist bag and threw them at the boys. Whatever she threw landed near them and on closer inspection they seemed to be some kind of small bombs. A sound could be heard and the boys tried to back away before they went off. The bombs detonated and in a white bang, ice was spurred from the bombs creating two medium sized clusters of ice. Zelts and Silver made out of harm's way but Remus didn't, half of his body, specifically his left arm and leg, was encased in ice and he couldn't move.

Malinda, who occupied an empty seat on a bench when this was taking place, didn't seem happy with what was happening so far. "Boys! Eliminate them, no mercy!" she shouted impatiently.

Silver and Zelts made a mad dash for the girls. "CLSH, disperse!" Cerise said wanted to spread this fight out. Cerise and Hazel ran down the road on Violet's left drawing Zelts attention as he chased them while Loden and Sapphire ran to the right drawing Silver's attention leaving Violet with Malinda and Remus who used his semblance to teleport himself out of the ice.

Cerise grabbed more of her bombs and threw them at Zelts which exploded in a fiery blast but he shielded himself from the attack and was closing in. "Hazel" Cerise said and Hazel pressed a button on her arm guards which triggered her high tech backpack to open on its own and out of it came three massive wasps that surrounded and suppressed Zelts.

"Those mechanical drones are working smoothly," Cerise said impressed and Hazel nodded

"Yes, it's all thanks to Onyx. He really upgraded our gear," Hazel said happy but their chat was put to a halt when they felt a strong green gust of wind hit them and push Hazel's wasp drones back. Zelts had The Wings of Icarus separate to become wingblades that can manipulate and create forces of wind.

"Uh oh" Cerise said. Hazel pressed more buttons on her wrists and the wasp drones moved above Zelts and fired lasers from their stingers. Zelts defend against them until he put his hand up as a laser hit it but there was no damage, instead, Zelts's hand was glowing gold from his semblance, Conversion. The absorbed energy ran through his body as he swung one of his wingblades to unleash a more powerful gale that was shimmering gold instead of green and had an electrical current in it. Two out of the three drones were able to evade the force of nature but one was caught and damaged greatly, too damaged to function any longer upsetting Hazel but she didn't let up on her attack. Pressing more buttons she had the two remaining wasp drones quickly move around Zelts while firing lasers rapid fire. Zelts did his best to defend and absorb the energy attacks, but some were still hitting him, but it was not enough to keep him down.

"Master Zelts, compose yourself!" Zelts turned his head and saw Sterling Vantablack behind him trying to reason with him but no avail. Zelts wasn't dissuaded, but he was distracted long enough for Cerise to throw three bombs at his feet before he noticed. They exploded and encased Zelts in ice no longer able to move. Cerise and Hazel cheered for their victory but apologized to a frozen Zelts. Sterling watched Zelts in the ice then looked to his weapon.

 _"Those blades, I've seen them before. It can't be,"_ Sterling thought to himself.

On the other side of the road fires were shot one after another and they were being deflected by something. Silver, with his semblance Gravity activated jumped around firing round after round at Loden and Sapphire but Sapphire was moving her arms swiftly and it was deflecting the bullets before they ever made it to either herself or Loden. Sapphire landed on the ground with her mechanical gauntlets. Silver fired two more shots and Sapphire swung her hand and out of the fingertips came metal cables that whipped and deflected the bullets once more before retracting back into the gauntlet. "This isn't so bad." Sapphire said to Loden who stayed out of the way. "Focus Sapphire" Loden said as she kept her eyes on Silver who shifted Ceasefire from dual handguns to twin staff mode and closed the distance between them quickly.

"I got this," Sapphire said as she tried to ensnare and restrain him but when she tried to catch him while he was in midair but Silver used his semblance to make himself heavier and quickly fall to the ground before being caught by the cables.

With both staffs in hand, Silver rushed in to pummel Sapphire who wasn't reacting fast enough for a close quarter fight her cables were still retracting back into the gauntlets and it made her vulnerable. Silver attacked but instead of hitting Sapphire he hit Loden who intercepted and blocked it with her bare hands. Hand to hand combat began between the two, Silver using his staffs and Loden using her martial arts. With Malinda's Trance limiting Silver's fighting abilities, the fight was more in Loden's favor, but being hit by Ceasefire still hurt and not having a weapon meant she had no choice but to endure. The bout ended with Loden punching Silver in the face while she took a staff to the gut. Silver stepped back and Loden doubled over from the hit. She was feeling fatigued but she had to continue, but before she could get up, Silver was standing before her ready to start his symphony with his sticks however his assault was stopped by cables wrapping around his body. Sapphire had her cables wrapped around Silver to restrain him then she gripped her hands and electricity surged down the cables and shocked Silver until he was unconscious. With the threat subdued Sapphire ran over to Loden to help her up keeping Silver constricted.

Violet was still holding her own against Remus while Malinda watched in amusement. Violet stayed on the defensive this whole time but it was doing nothing except giving Remus control of the battle. Even though he wasn't as fast as he usually was, he was still fast and his semblance only made it worse since she had to guard from every possible direction. Remus was charging at her and Violet responded by putting up her guard once more, but he teleported behind her and gave her a sharp kick to her back. Violet fell to one knee but reacted quickly by maneuvering out of the way then used her semblance to turn invisible in order to buy herself some time while getting some distance between them but this was only a temporary reprieve.

For some weird reason, Remus has become adept to tracking Violet when she uses Invisibility. If she's invisible in the base Remus would just look around then stare at the location she was in. She didn't know whether it was because of keen senses, the kinship between them, or Remus just being Remus so she didn't question it because it helped when they performed combos for their team attack **Cloak and Dagger** and she never thought it could be used against her. Hopefully his limited abilities will include finding her. Remus looked in her direction and lunged for her with quick slashes. He attacked with normal grip and reversed grip to leave his opponent unable to predict what he was going to do next but Violet was fast enough to barely dodge each move. Violet deactivated her semblance no longer seeing a point in using it anymore.

 _"Sorry Remus but you're leaving me no choice,"_ Violet thought sadly.

"Could you please make this more entertaining? I enjoy a good fight," Malinda said in the background but Violet ignored her as she planned to end this now.

"Remus if you can hear me, I just want to you to know I'm sorry for this," Violet said as she put one of her daggers in its holster and grabbed two Vorpal Sword throwing knives from her bag.

Remus ran at full speed like Violet predicted and Violet threw the two knives on the ground. The first one landing in front of Remus's path and covered the ground in ice. Remus slipped up and the momentum of his dash caused him to quickly slid down the ice towards Violet. The second knife caused a pillar of earth to erupt between her and the ice. Violet stayed behind the wall as Remus was heading right for it. She closed her eyes in guilt and pain when she heard her friend's body smack into the earthy barrier making a loud and painful sound. Violet got up and looked over the shield to see her friend unconscious then turned her eyes to Malinda whose expression changed from amusement to uneasiness, all of her new toys were incapacitated and there was a girl cracking her knuckles coming her way.

"Now, now... Let's talk about this like civilized people," Malinda said scared of Violet. It was clear she was the type who had people fight for her.

"Violet, we did it, we wo-" Cerise yelled but stopped seeing her role model about to unleash her wrath on the serpent. Cerise and Hazel were not planning to get in the middle of this. The same for Loden and Sapphire who came over at the same time dragging Silver's body. This was a fight between them.

"Not only did you harm my boys, but you used them for your own vices and had the gall to force them to fight me. If there's one thing you crooks should know it's don't mess with my boys." Violet was beyond reason and everyone was afraid particularly Malinda. "And here's something to help you remember."

Violet reeled her fist back and gave her a sharp uppercut square in the jaw. Malinda feel to the ground knocked out and one of her fangs laying on the ground next to her.

"Glass jaw huh?" Violet said ending her assault there as she walked over to Remus to see if he was okay. The boy finally came to and his eyes were their usual striking amber color instead of dark blue meaning the mind control has been lifted.

"How are you feeling?" Violet asked kindly. Remus put a hand to his head and groaned in pain.

"My head hurts really bad," he said with a major headache.

"Don't worry it'll pass," Violet comforted feeling bad she caused the headache.

"Um..why am I tied up?" Silver said now conscious speaking to anyone who could answer her question. He was on the floor still wrapped in Sapphire's cables being dragged around by her.

Violet looked at him, Remus, CLSH, and a frozen Zelts being watched by Sterling. "Let's head back to the base everyone, it's a long story."

 **An Hour Later**

 **Setting: VRSZ Base**

Everyone was in the living room; Remus sitting on the couch with Cerise and Hazel while Silver, Loden, and Sapphire were standing behind them and Zelts was sitting in the love seat sneezing from a cold after being in ice for so long. Cerise and some of her friends were looking around unable to believe their luck. Not only did they find VRSZ's car, but they met Violet, fought with her though it was against her own teammates, and now they were in their home. Cerise honestly felt like fainting but she didn't want to seem even more weird in front of VRSZ.

"And that's pretty much what happened," Violet said nonchalantly. Remus nodded in acceptance, Zelts sneezed as a response but Silver was a little upset.

"Man that's embarrassing. She started flirting with me and I wasn't even thinking...oh well, what happened, happened," Silver said quickly over his failure and looked to the members of CLSH. "So you guys are fans or something?"

"Um uh ye-yeah kind of..I..think a better word is admirers. We just want to be a good team like you guys," Cerise said a little embarrassed now that everyone on VRSZ was looking at her.

"If you ask me, I'd say you guys are well on your way," Violet complimented with a smile. Her words made every member of CLSH smile knowing that they got what they always wanted, the approval of their seniors.

Team VRSZ and Team CLSH spent the rest of the day together. Remus played videos games against anyone who'd challenge him. Sapphire and Silver were the only ones who kept playing trying to beat him but he won every time. Violet gave Silver Malinda's dislodged fang as a souvenir then showed Cerise her notepad of team attacks inspiring Cerise to do the same thing. Zelts apologized to Hazel for damaging her drone and she accepted telling him she could repair it herself. Silver felt bad that he hurt Loden when he was under Malinda's mind control so he gave her a parting gift before Team CLSH left, Terra Cotta's naginata. Loden accepted it and dubbed it World Splitter. With the day over and CLSH gone, Silver relaxed on the couch tossing his new souvenir in the air. Zelts remained where he was this whole time, in the love seat trying to get over his cold.

"How can you play with that thing? It was a part of someone's mouth not too long ago," Zelts said a little disgusted Silver was tossing around Malinda's tooth. Silver didn't look like he had an answer but he didn't have to when someone else started talking.

"They seem nice. I like them," Remus said leaving the kitchen with Violet.

"They have potential, I'd like to see how far they go," Violet said impressed with their abilities even though they were still a little green in being huntresses.

"I'm not so sure. They're young, too young to be doing this," Zelts said with a stuffed up nose making him sound nasally. "Kids there age shouldn't be fighting."

"I started being a mercenary when I was their age, younger even," Violet retorted.

"Same here, I was a kid when I first wielded Ceasefire and look at me now. And if you think they're too young, what about Remus? They're practically the same age," Silver said and Zelts couldn't' deny that there was truth in his words.

"Fighting is one of the earliest memories I have," Remus said to make Silver's point. "Nonstop fighting for two years before I came here." This statement only made the others curious but they already know a direct question was answered the same; "That's confidential."

"We were the few fortunate ones to make it this far. Believe me, not a lot of children who start fighting live to see the next day," Zelts said nasally but it was enough to bring the mood down.

"Then as their elders we should help guide them. They can surely benefit from being taught by you Zelts." Violet hoped her words would convince him but her encouraging words were not seen that way. Zelts had memories of other people, younger children pass through his mind and it upset him greatly. He got up from his seat and walked away to his room. His actions confused everyone who know that he isn't the type to abruptly leave.

"What's up with him?" Silver said. Violet looked at Zelt's bedroom door with a worried look.

Zelts laid in bed already regretting his decision but he didn't think he should show his face for the rest of the day so he went to bed early. The memories were coming back and he hated it. Images of others who looked to Zelts for guidance, then images of them lying on the ground lifeless and Zelts standing there unable to do anything about it. Zelts spent the night awake throughout the whole night.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Violet is a well-balanced fighter with a tactical mind and the ablility to adapt to any situation quickly. Her aim with Vorpal Swords is surpassed only by Silver's prowess but she surpasses the other members when it comes to hand to hand combat. Zelts beats her in raw strength but her speed and skill is superior. She prefers to aim for vital spots like the eyes, nose, knees, temple, back, and neck then finish fights with a solid punch, kick, or elbow strike.**

 **All of Team CLSH's weapons were provided to them by Onyx Vantablack, inventor and mechanic. Hazel actually made the weapons used by Cerise and herself but Onyx was happy to improve them. Sapphire's weapon was actually a hand-me-down, they originally belong to Sterling Vantablack then Clair de Lune when she was learning self-defense. The weapon was also originally equipped with wire strings before Onyx replaced them with cables.**

 **Cerise was based off the cherry bomb which is also her choice of weapon. She was also made to be slightly similar to Violet; she has weapons that have diverse effects and both of them are leaders of their teams. The only difference is that Cerise is a much more positive person by nature.**

 **Hazel is team CLSH's tech specialist.**

 **Vantablack is a substance made of carbon nanotubes and is the blackest substance known to man. It absorbs 99.965% of visible light.**


	3. Learning Curve

**Setting: Fortuna**

Remus and Silver were walking down the streets of Fortuna just enjoying the day and each others' company. Truth be told, Silver has been hanging with Ghost a lot and Remus has missed being around Silver. And this wasn't something he displayed discreetly, Remus is known to let people know what he is feeling and today he told Silver he wants to hang out with him again.

"So Remus, you understand what I'm saying?" Silver asked as the duo walked side by side to who knows where.

"I think so, but I'm still not following. There are two kinds of smart?" Remus asked trying to comprehend Silver's wisdom.

Silver and the rest of Team VRSZ have taken the responsibility of teaching Remus about the things in life he doesn't know like social norms and other things whenever they come up. This is one of those moments where Silver teaches Remus in his so called 'School of Kick-Ass'.

"Exactly, there's book smart, like you with your math and science, then there's street smart, the kind of thing you learn from experiencing the world, the kind of smart I am."

"I've experienced a bunch of new things so would I be considered street smart?" Remus asked with Silver looking at him blankly.

"Violet bought you a wallet not too long ago, give it to me," Silver said with his already hand out.

Remus complied and placed the wallet in his hand and Silver opened then took all the money out of the wallet and into his own.

"You're not street smart." Silver said tossing Remus his now empty wallet, but the boy didn't seem upset that his money was taken by his friend.

"Kick-Ass lesson for today; Never give someone you don't know your wallet. It's not smart."

"You mean street smart?"

"Now you're getting it," Silver said as they continued their walk until someone appeared behind them.

"Hey guys."

"Nice to see my seniors out and about." The person speaking to them was the blue haired member of Team CLSH, Sapphire Velum.

 **Setting: VRSZ Base**

Zelts stood outside the base leaning against the wall near the front door just staring at nothing but the ocean of sand that was their front yard. The front door opened and Violet appeared through the threshold. She saw Zelts and smiled before standing next to him, but Zelts refused to look at her so he kept his head down in shame.

"Violet...I'm sorry about my behavior last night, it was childish and uncalled for," Zelts apologized but Violet didn't seem affected because she playfully punched Zelts in the shoulder surprising him.

"You already said sorry a dozen times today, you can stop now. Besides, I was never upset with you to begin with. I can understand your desire not to see others harmed by choosing a life of fighting, but they made up their minds, and like I said, the least we could do is help them so their chances of survival is more in their favor." Zelts couldn't argue Violet's words.

"You're right I know, it's just...my personal experience was the reason for my objection. When I was young I saw a lot of people, a lot of friends die, those I taught for the same reason you want to teach CLSH, they didn't make it either, I..." Zelts stopped there not wanting to speak further but it was too late.

Violet was enthralled by his tale wanting him to continue but knew he didn't want to. "You don't want to tell me anymore?" Zelts remained silent which answered her question so she didn't press the matter further.

"I get it, not wanting to talk about painful experiences, I have a bunch myself." Zelts glimpsed at Violet curious at her words especially about her having a tragic past.

Violet saw the slight change in her friend's face and thought of a way for him to open up. "If you want, let's make a deal; I tell you a little bit of my past and you tell me a little bit of yours." Zelts didn't say anything, but he did look at her meaning he was interested.

"I'd like to tell someone about it, well, a certain _someone_ already knows, but I'd prefer to tell someone rather than have them snoop on my life," Violet said referring to Clair.

"...Deal. But I already told you a sliver of my life, so now it's your turn."

"I guess a good place to start is telling you about my family."

 **Setting: Fortuna**

"It's nice walking with your seniors," Sapphire said walking between Remus and Silver. Being between them, one could she how she was taller than Remus, but shorter than Silver.

"I don't think I like being called a senior, it makes me feel old." Silver said but Sapphire bumped his elbow with hers.

"Oh come on, it's not like I called you a senior citizen. I'm just showing my respect. I wouldn't want to upset you." She was lighthearted in her tone. "You guys are cool."

"What makes us so cool?" Silver asked.

"I like your team's style, especially his." Sapphire pointed to Remus.

"Really?" Silver said surprised that Remus and cool were used in the same sentence. To him, the words best used for his friend were odd, weird, oblivious, blockhead, sometimes annoying and maybe idiot, but cool never crossed his mind.

"I'm cool," Remus stated more than asked.

"Yeah, you have a wild style of fighting that I like and he speaks his mind all the time you know, let's people know what he's thinking, so cool, he's my favorite member of VRSZ," Sapphire said admiringly and Remus actually felt something when she spoke highly of him. For the first time, Remus is experiencing embarrassment from being praised by someone and it showed.

"We each have our own favorite member. Cerise obviously adores Violet, Loden has a lot of respect for Zelts and Hazel likes you for a secret reason." Silver was intrigued. He didn't think someone as shy and reserved as Hazel would favor him.

"What's the secret reason?" Sapphire leaned close to Silver so Remus wouldn't hear it.

"She knows deep down you're a nice guy."

Silver stopped walking for a split second then continued at a faster pace than the other two moving ahead of them. "I don't know what she's talking about," Silver said with a pseudo macho face, but Sapphire could see through the guise and smiled before turning her attention to Remus.

"Hey, do you think you can train me in combat, I really feel like your style of fighting is the style I want as well."

"Okay." His simple one worded answer was enough to make her day.

"Yes! We can practice at our base, this is going to be amazing." Sapphire beamed excitement.

"Your base?" Remus tilted his head in confusion.

 **Setting: Ceres**

This was a part of Fortuna neither Silver or Remus have been to. Compared to the rest of the city-town, the area seemed to be more town than city and it looked a little more cut off from the rest of Fortuna. Ceres was very quaint and peaceful with nice areas where people walked and happily conversed and small homes that seemed really comfy to live in. Sapphire guided them to CLSH's base which was just an ordinary house at the corner of the area.

"This is your base?" Silver asked not believing what he was seeing.

"Yeah this is actually Loden's place, we all live nearby, but she lets us crash with her since she lives alone. It's not as fancy as your place but it serves our needs and Loden's guardian is always away, but pays for everything so money is never a problem."

Remus looked at the commonplace dwelling impressed but Silver had a vexing expression. _"They live here for free, damn, I'm a little jealous,"_ Silver thought before walking into the building with the others. The inside reflected the same as the outside, normal. The living room was kind of like their own, couch and a flat screen TV, all that was missing was Violet's love seat.

"The others should still be on their Grimm hunting mission so it's just us."

Sapphire gave the guys a tour of the first floor before leading them outside. Silver and Remus followed her until Silver got a glimpse of something that caught his eye and made him stop in his tracks. Sapphire noticed and walked to see what he was staring at.

"Oh that's just the kitchen." Silver walked into the room in silence.

"You like it?" Sapphire asked.

The kitchen surpassed VRSZ's in every way. It was bigger, cleaner, more equipment and utensils, and a fridge that could fit four Zelts and still have room for two Remuses. Silver said nothing as he approached the fridge and just held it or stretched his hands as far as he could and just silently reveled in its presence. Seeing as this was going to take awhile, Sapphire escorted Remus to the backyard which was an open field, large and secluded enough for them to fight without damaging any nearby buildings or people.

Sapphire stood on one side of the field and Remus on the other. Sapphire equipped her gauntlets and began stretching while Remus stood there with sword in hand waiting for his sparring partner. "This is exciting! I've been dying to do this!"

 _"This is only training, no need to go all-out,"_ Remus thought then flashed a smile ready to go.

"Since you're my senior, you can have the first move."

Remus took the initiative by instantly teleporting out of her sight. Sapphire immediately turned around expecting to counter him, but she saw nothing. She didn't see anything until it was too late, Remus fell from above, slashing at her torso then hitting her in the stomach with a palm strike, knocking her a distance away. Sapphire got up and looked at Remus with smile.

"This is what I'm talking about. No one ever knows what you're going to do next." Sapphire was more revved up than before and Remus couldn't help to reciprocate those feelings.

Remus shifted his weapon from a sword into a railgun. With little charge, he quickly fired two bolts of fast moving energy, but Sapphire was able to dodge them in the nick of time and all those projectiles did was kick up dust hiding Sapphire. Remus switched his weapon's form again and charged at her ready to strike again. The smoke cleared and Remus saw a figure so he gripped his sword for another attack but when he got a good look at the figure he didn't see Sapphire but Violet appearing scared and putting her arms up to defend against his attack. Remus faltered trying to stop himself, he tripped and fell, sliding into the ground before stopping right at Violet's feet.

"V-Violet?! What are you doing here?!"

Violet bent over to look Remus in the face and smiled before lashing at him with cables knocking him over. She wrapped him in the cables and slammed him on the ground repeatedly before tossing him across the field. Remus got up and looked at Violet still confused until Violet brought one hand to her face and when she brought it down Sapphire took her place making Remus even more confused.

"Hehe, it's my semblance, Masquerade, I can take the appearance of anyone I've ever met. Cool huh?" Sapphire said, but Remus was too astonished to say anything.

Seeing as how Remus wasn't moving, Sapphire decided it was her turn to take the initiative by running to Remus and whipping her cables at him. Finally recovered, Remus rolled out of the way before the cables hit him then kicked off to close the distance between them. Sapphire brought her hands together to string the cables as an improvised shield and it proved to work when Remus attacked with his sword. The blade connected with the cables and his straight swing was stopped, but it didn't stop Remus from trying to continue his onslaught, however, Sapphire anticipated this and did the only move she could do, she used the cables to defend by wrapping his sword, arm, then second arm, restraining him. This kind of technique could not effect Remus as he merely teleported out of his binds and appeared again behind Sapphire with Velocitas Eradico at her back.

"Okay I yield, I knew I couldn't beat from the start, but it was still fun." Sapphire retracted her cables back into her gauntlets.

"It really was." Remus put his sword away into the sheath on his back.

"So, what did you think?" she said as she turned to face Remus.

"You did great," Remus answered, but Sapphire turned her whole body to face him with insistent eyes.

"Yeah, but based on what you've seen, where do you think I need to improve?" she asked with anticipation.

"Oh...um..." Remus didn't know what to say, he never instructed anyone on anything because he was the one who was being taught. Remus thought back on the fight before speaking.

"Ummm...most of your attacks are only long-range, your cables can be used for short and mid-range attacks too. Like how you used it to defend against my blade and uh... you're not as fast as me...I mean that I was able to recover faster than you could reach me so um... use your cables to help you move around by swinging from things and stuff. That should help you move faster." Remus wasn't even sure if what he was saying is true, he just said what he felt.

"That is...so amazing!" apparently it good enough for Sapphire. "You could see all my flaws so well, you really are amazing." Sapphire was completely impressed with Remus's improvised deduction.

"That was a great match," Cerise said appearing from the backdoor with Loden and Hazel by her side.

"You guys completed the job?" Sapphire asked walking to her friends and Cerise responded with a nod.

"I didn't know you would fight with Remus today, you were so adamant about relaxing," Loden said surprised.

"Yeah, well I saw an opportunity and I took it, and it was definitely worth it," Sapphire said before turning to Remus. "Thank you, this really helped a lot," she thanked and Remus felt a little embarrassed again.

"It was nice seeing you guys again," Remus said outside the house while CLSH were watching him from the front door.

"You too, hopefully you guys can train us again," Sapphire said before Remus walked to leave.

"Um Remus." Hazel grabbed his attention.

"Umm...could you grab Silver, he's..still hugging our fridge." Hazel pointed to the kitchen area where Silver was in the same position he was in hours ago when they first entered the house. He had a dazed look but he seemed happy.

 **Setting: VRSZ Base**

Remus entered his home with Silver slowly trailing behind him. Violet and Zelts were in the living room, Zelts was meditating and Violet was reading a comic book from her collection before noticing their presence in the house.

"Hey guys, how was your day?" Violet asked.

"It was fun, we hung out with CLSH all day," Remus answered as Silver trudged over to his room. He stopped when he passed the kitchen and looked at the room and then the fridge while thinking of the fridge in CLSH's base. He collapsed onto his knees and started sobbing.

"It was so beautiful. It's not fair. It's so unfair."

"Is he alright?" Zelts asked Remus but received a shoulder shrug as an answer.

"Ignore him he's just being dramatic," Violet said not looking up from her comic.

It was the middle of the night. Everyone was in their rooms fast asleep, everyone except Silver who was still on the floor weeping.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Ceres is the Roman goddess of agriculture, fertility, and motherly relationships. The area of Ceres is more rural than the rest of Fortuna and has actual crops growing there as well. The motherly relationship is represented specifically by the teacher student relationship between Violet and Cerise including the relationship between the two teams as a whole.**

 **Team CLSH Weapon Names:**

 **Cerise calls her weapons the Runaways because that's what people do when you throw a bomb at them. It's also named after the band that made the song "Cherry Bomb" which are the type of bombs Cerise carries.**

 **Loden's weapon is a naginata originally owned by Terra Cotta before Loden claimed it as her own and now calls it World Splitter. A naginata was a weapon used in Japanese warfare by men but became less useful for them on the battlefield and became a popular weapon among women. This fits perfectly with the naginata being passed down from a male to a female wielder.**

 **Sapphire's gauntlets are called Spinneret because they release cables like spider releases silk for many different uses. Just as spiders have different types of silk for different functions, Sapphire will learn how to use Spinneret for different uses.**

 **Hazel's drone pack is named the Hive based on its function to house Hazel's wasp-like drones. The drones themselves do not have a name but Hazel inspects and tweaks them to be better than the last time they were used. The arm guards she wears have the buttons to operate the drones. There are also blades hidden inside the guards if Hazel had to resort to close combat but she isn't very good at it.**


	4. Reconstruction

**Setting: Outskirts of Fortuna**

" **Cloak and Dagger!** "

Standing next to Violet was Remus with sword in hand ready to begin their team attack. Before them was a pack of Grimm, mostly Beowolves and a Deathstalker ready to rip them limb from limb. Violet turned invisible and Remus dashed toward a Beowolf with Violet behind him. Remus jumped into the air, gaining the monster's full attention, as Violet grabbed her dagger and got as close to the beast as possible while still invisible. Completely focused on slashing Remus when he lands, the Beowolf was too late to react to Violet slicing his head off. With that one finished, Violet ran to the next one, another Beowolf lying in wait below Remus, this one prepared to make a meal out of him. The Grimm opened its jaw to snap at the boy who was ready to attack, but Violet attacked first with an uppercut using her dagger to slash a vertical line along its chin. Remus brought his leg out and landed a strong kick to the top of its head, killing the beast. Several more Beowolves closed in on them ready to kill them until a gust of wind swept them away. Behind Violet and Remus was Zelts with his wingblades and his trademark smile. Feeling reassured about their standing, Violet took charge.

" **Delta Stream!** "

Zelts used one of his blades to create a horizontal tornado to serve as a funnel to scoop up multiple Beowolves into the funnel and Remus dove in as well but unlike the Grimm that were helpless, he was riding on the wind. He moved to every Grimm and cut them down within the vortex until he was the only living thing inside. With one final slash the funnel dispersed with Remus coming out but without noticing, landed in front of the Deathstalker. The creature was ready to impale the boy until several Vorpal swords knives stabbed all of its eyes making it scream in pain before the knives exploded destroying the Deathstalker's face. The massive monster dissolved signifying it was dead. The remaining Grimm watched their companions die one after another realizing they made a mistake coming here. Some of them tried to walk away while they had the chance.

"You're not going anywhere," Violet said with a sadistic look. "Remus, Zelts, run wild!"

She grabbed more knives and her teammates bearing their weapons ready to raze the place except they did and it was too late to stop. Explosions could be heard and old buildings were destroyed by tornadoes made by Zelts. The destruction could be heard around certain places in Fortuna.

 **Setting: Ghost's Apartment**

"The hell was that?" Ghost said sitting on his couch.

"My team, I know the sound of their chaos anywhere," Silver said walking to the living room from the kitchen then started throwing darts at a bull's-eye board. "I still can't believe you live in a place this nice, rent free too. He threw the first dart and it landed on the bull's-eye.

"Working directly for Lady Clair does have many perks, but the job isn't easy." Ghost was reading short stories on his scroll.

"Really? She seems like an easygoing boss." Silver didn't really believe him as he threw another dart which also hit the bull's-eye.

"Actually it's been pretty easy lately, thanks to you guys, crime has been at an all time low so my job has been rather lax. Typical run of the mill crooks try to take Royal's place but they're nothing to be worried about," Ghost said looking more at his stories than Silver when he talked.

"All perks and no work huh?" Silver threw a third dart facing the opposite direction of the board this time, but the dart hit the bull's-eye all the same.

"I could say the same about you right now." Silver stopped aiming after he said that. "How many times have you been here to hang out? I appreciate the company, but it seems like you're shirking work."

"Not true, there's just less work to do. Guess we're in the same boat." Silver threw the fourth dart against the wall and it ricocheted off the wall and onto the bull's-eye.

"We won't be in the same boat for long. I'll be buried in work in a while," Ghost said as he turned his scroll off to give his friend his full attention. "Lady Clair will be the one to inform you and the rest of your team later today."

Silver looked at him then threw the last two darts, the first one off course and the other right behind it. The one in the back was faster than the first dart and it hit it, changing the first one's course to the dart board. It was another bull's-eye until one last rumble shook the room causing all the darts to fall much to Silver's annoyance and Ghost's amusement.

 **Setting: Moneta**

Violet and Zelts walked into the building looking for Sterling who was sitting at his desk. "Hello Miss Violet, Master Zelts."

"Hello Sterling, we came to collect money for the Grimm extermination," Violet said with a smile.

"I've heard, your battle could be heard throughout Fortuna. It must have been a spectacular triumph." Sterling's praise made Violet and Zelts a little embarrassed about being that loud.

Their fight ruined the outskirts. The carelessness of their actions destroyed several of the old buildings, not to mention they had to drop Remus off at home because he kind of hurt himself after getting hit by the debris. Luckily he wasn't greatly injured, but Violet felt guilty for her reckless behavior as a leader and thought he would be better at home. Violet received her pay and was on her way out until Sterling spoke up.

"Miss Violet, if you have the time, I'd like to speak to Master Zelts about something."

Violet looked at Zelts, who didn't know where this conversation was going, and honestly, she didn't think these two would have anything in common to speak about, but it wasn't her place to deny them, so she allowed it and sat on the empty couch to give them their privacy.

"What is it you'd like to talk about Mister Sterling." Zelts was the only one on the team who speaks to Sterling in a formal manner.

"I wanted to ask you about your weapon." Sterling pointed to the weapon in question.

"The Wings of Icarus? What about it?" Zelts asked as he took the shield off his back and presented it to the man.

"I wish to know how you obtained this weapon."

"This? When I was younger it was given to me to use as a weapon. The person who got it said he got lucky and found it laying in the desert."

"Lucky indeed."

"Is there something special about it?" Zelts never really thought much of his weapon's origin, it was very useful in battle but that was it.

"I believe so, I think you're wielding a legendary weapon. One wielded by a hero of Fortuna, he defended this place from a massive horde of Grimm but lost his life from fatigue. Because there was no proof of his existence and people believing the Grimm were swept away by violent sandstorms, many don't believe he existed but I've seen him and that shield before. I just wanted to have closer look at it, nothing more." Sterling had a small smile like a dream has finally been realized.

Zelts looked at the shield in his arms. _"This shield was used by someone who defended this town while I couldn't protect anyone,"_ Zelts thought distressed and thought maybe he should have a weapon with such a legacy.

"Here Sterling, you should have this." Zelts held the shield out so the old man could take it, but he was met with hands pushing the shield back to him. "No, it's yours now. Hopefully his strength has been passed down to you." Sterling said happy and Zelts couldn't refuse as he put the shield on his back. "Let's just hope I can live up to his name." Zelts said before walking away.

Violet caught up with Zelts as they left Moneta. "What did he want to talk about?"

"Just telling me an old story," Zelts said and Violet didn't press any further not seeing the point. Outside the building, they saw the jeep with Silver sitting in the passenger's seat.

"Yo."

"What are you doing here?" Violet asked.

"I heard you guys fighting while I was out, so I figured you'd be here. And I'd like a ride home, walking back would be a pain," he said as he kicked his feet up and put them on the dashboard. Violet didn't question him either and just got in the car with Zelts and drove home.

 **Setting: VRSZ Base**

They made it back home then entered through the garage and was met with an unexpected guest. "Hello Wallflower," Clair said from the couch.

"Clair!? Why are you here?" Violet asked in confusion.

"Why I came all this way to tell you all some good news. I wanted to wait till everyone's here, but only young Remus was here when I arrived."

Violet was about to ask where her friend was, but Clair pointed to something on the couch in front of her. VRSZ walked around the couch and found Remus laying on it fast asleep with his head in her lap. "He was curious about my semblance, Songstress, so I gave him a demonstration, I sang a lullaby," she said as she softly petted his head and he seemed to enjoy it based on the way he nuzzled her.

 _"Lucky bastard,"_ Silver thought feeling a little jealous his younger friend was in the lap of a beautiful woman and from the looks on his face, probably having a pleasant dream too.

"If this is about the destroyed buildings, we're sorry," Violet apologized but Clair raised her hand.

"Oh that, if anything I should be thanking you. This goes well with what I have to tell you, I've ordered for the reconstruction of Fortuna's outskirts," Clair declared and the unexpected news did affect the recipients.

"Really?" Zelts asked.

"Yes, the outskirts is a nasty sight in our home and a known hideout for criminals so rebuilding would be the best course of action."

"So you came all the way here to tell us personally? That explains why Ghost didn't say anything," Silver added not sure why she would tell them. It's true that friendships were made but this seemed to be more like something to be discussed with her council rather than VRSZ.

"The thing is I won't be able to complete this construction alone, so I'm leaving Fortuna to seek assistance from our partnerships with outside sources. I wanted you all to know I won't be around for a while and to ask for something."

"What would that be?" Violet asked.

"I wish to hire VRSZ for a job." Clair's answer confused them even further.

"And what kind of job are we doing?" Silver asked.

"To make sure Fortuna is still standing when I get back. I have full faith in the authorities of Fortuna, Ghost is staying behind to look after things, but I was hoping I can have my favorite team help as well. Of course I'm willing to pay you for your endeavors." Clair pulled out a check from inside her blouse and handed it to Violet.

She looked at the check and instantly held her hand out. "We'll take the job!" Violet said with so much enthusiasm that it unnerved Silver and Zelts. Whatever amount of money was on that check it was able to turn Violet into a different person.

"Thank you so much Violet, I knew I could count on all of you." Clair extended her hand to shake Violet's, thus sealing the deal.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow. My flight is taking me to Atlas first than to Beacon. I believe I will find help there." Clair said as she tried to wake Remus from his slumber. He didn't awaken, but he did move out of her lap allowing her to get up.

"Take this wisdom to heart, don't drink the water. I've seen the people in those places and there's some kind of epidemic, most of the people there look like they're covered in shadows," Silver said and Clair grinned to him before leaving.

At this time, Remus finally woke up with a yawn. He saw his friends in front of him. "What happened?"

"We got a big job, that's what happened." Violet said a little cheery.

"We don't know how long she'll be gone, you sure you want to take this request?" Zelts asked Violet.

"We already accepted so yeah, besides, it's Fortuna, what could go wrong?" Violet said and she would soon regret it in the coming days.

 **Setting: Open Skies**

An airship was flying through the air. Inside were passengers sitting at their designated seats. In one seat was a girl with long white hair that reached her shoulders and reddish brown eyes. She wore something like an employee would wear to a business meeting. She had a black shirt underneath a pure white jacket and form fitting trouser pants. She also had a black glove on her right hand and white shoes. Everything about her screamed professional, she gave off an air around herself that she didn't want to be bothered by anyone. Next to her was a small duffel bag that was slightly open and inside was a grayish white jacket that was the same as the one Ghost wears except it was intact and looked to be in better care.

"Attention passengers, we will reach Fortuna in two days," the announcer said for all the flight attendants to hear.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Clair de Lune was originally intended to be Violet's rival/frenemy but as the story progressed she changed to a friend/older sister figure. She is also based off the siren with her mysterious air and semblance that affects people in different ways using her voice.**

 **Irony of Ghost is that he is terrified of horror movies and scares easily when he's off duty. He is Silver's second favorite person to pull pranks on.**

 **Zelts is very mature and grounded but he isn't like that all the time. There times when gets wrapped up in Silver and Remus's shenanigans. He says they create an atmosphere where it's easy to get carried away.**


	5. We Meet Again

**Setting: Fortuna**

Gunfire was being fired in a random alley. Several men were jumping and moving frantically to avoid the bullets being shot at their feet. All while the one firing was laughing at their predicament. "Come man, this is not funny!" one of the men yelled.

"AHAHAHA! Seems pretty funny to me!" the shooter said as he prepared for another round of fun.

"That's enough Silver," Violet said leaning on her jeep.

It was her and Silver with Remus sitting in the back seat just watching Silver act like a maniac drunk with power, but he didn't seem concerned about his friend's behavior even though Violet thought that was enough.

"Y-you can't do this to us," one of the men said hoping this would stop Silver's reign of terror.

"Oh yes I can! I'm an official enforcer of Fortuna. I make the rules now." Silver pointed Ceasefire at the men's feet again, but Violet placed her hand on top of one of the guns and lowered it. "Oh come on boss! We're the law now, meaning we have power. Abuse it or lose it."

"One, we don't have any real power, we're doing a job for a friend. Two, be responsible, we may not have not power, but that doesn't give you the right to-"

"As an official enforcer of Fortuna, I have to disagree," Silver interrupted.

"Three, shut up. Four, stop calling us enforcers of Fortuna, it's not going to stick no matter how many times you say it. And five, your targets are getting away," Violet said pointing her finger at them.

Silver turned around to see the men were scrambling down the alley into the main streets. Remus teleported above one of the men and fell on top of him, pinning him to the ground. Violet threw three ice dust Vorpal Swords and froze three more crooks leaving one left that made it out of the alley.

"I got it!" Silver shouted as he ran in pursuit of the criminal while Violet and Remus gathered the ones that were already down.

The man ran through the streets shoving everyone out of his way as Silver followed behind. Silver thought about just shooting his leg, but with this many people around it was too dangerous, he was a good shot, but he didn't want to chance hurting an innocent bystanders. Silver noticed the man was running and not looking back so Silver used this chance to use Gravity. He ran up the side of a nearby building high enough that if the con did look back he couldn't see him. The chase lasted for a while until Silver followed him into an empty warehouse. The man busted through the door so Silver entered from above. There were conveyor belts and crates everywhere, perfect cover for Silver. He was on top of a crate, out of sight as he watched the man look around in desperation.

 _"Poor thing, I should put him out of his misery,"_

Silver changed Ceasefire from guns to twin staffs. He jumped down and was about begin his symphony until he heard gunshots. The shots hit the man in the shoulder and left leg causing him to fall over in pain. Silver landed on the ground then quickly got behind a crate changing his weapon to its previous form.

 _"Who's here? I didn't notice anyone else-"_ Silver's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a thud above him.

He looked up and saw the assailant standing on top of the crate. Silver saw the figure and was utterly shocked to his core. The person on the crate was wearing a Greyhound jacket; grey everywhere with a silver buttons, dark grey coattails, and a hood with a design similar to a canine's head obscuring the person's face so Silver was unable to identify who was attacking. Beneath the jacket he could make out some kind of white suit and a black shirt but nothing else.

 _"No! They can't be here! I didn't summon them!"_ Silver thought bewildered as he took a few steps back.

He didn't move until the assailant pulled out their weapon; a pair of handguns similar to Silver's Ceasefire, but different. Ceasefire was an average pair of silver and black colored semi-automatic pistols while this person's guns were semi-automatics, but seemed slightly bigger, more powerful, pure white in color, and the most notable feature were the bayonet knives modified to fit beneath the barrels. Silver used Gravity to jump a good distance away from his attacker. He landed on a large stack of crates and the Greyhound member quickly fired at him.

The assailant shot around Silver who quickly moved down the hill of wooden boxes while shooting his firearms as well. Neither side was waning or landing any hits. The unknown fighter was very agile, knowing the best time to attack and defend, but their attacks almost seemed to purposely dance around Silver's body like they wanted to play with him. The accuracy of the assailant's shots were too good for Silver to use his semblance to move around in the open, so he used it to run up the mountain of crates out of sight, but he stopped hearing gunfire when he made it to the top. Silver slowly looked over the top crate to analyze the assailant, but he didn't see his opponent at their previous location, instead he heard the sound of wood being pierced. He looked down and saw his assailant scale the wall of crates using the bayonets to help them climb to the top. They held their guns upside down so the knives could penetrate the crates easier, but it left them incapable of firing. Seeing this as an opportunity, Silver used Gravity to walk on the same side of the wall as the assailant and ran down in a full blitz with his weapon in twin staff form.

 _"Can't get me now!"_ Silver thought, but he was interrupted by the assailant lifting one of the guns and pointed at him while it was upside down and their finger wasn't on the trigger.

" _Obvious bluff,"_ Silver thought as he continued on his dash until the assailant pressed some kind of button on the grip and the bayonet was shot from the gun. The knife was quickly heading for Silver who jumped of the wall and somersaulted in the air and with his semblance, he had prolonged air time to process his thoughts before he came to a realization. _"Only one person in the world has that kind of gun,"_

Silver maneuvered his body to aim at the assailant who climbed the wall till they turned their body and quickly fired one round before Silver could and shot at one of his hands, knocking one of Ceasefire out of his hands. Not wanting to lose momentum, Silver used the other gun to return the favor, shooting at the assailant's hand, knocking the knife-less gun out of their hand. With Silver almost to the ground and only one gun holding them up, the assailant jumped off the wall till they were above Silver who smiled.

"You'd be proud of how far I've gotten, I practiced this new technique in secret and I can't think of no one else better fit to witness it first but you." Silver said as he pointed his gun at his opponent as it began to glow the same way his body does when he activates his semblance. Silver fired one shot at the assailant. It hit its mark, but it didn't faze the assailant who was still in the air but they started to glow the same glow. The assailant's body suddenly felt heavy and started to fall to the ground at a faster rate than normal and crashed into a crate underneath. "I call it **Gravity Bullet**."

Silver landed on the ground with style as he watched the unceremonious plunge of his foe. " **Gravity Bullet** isn't meant to damage, but to affect the gravity of whatever it touches. I increased gravity's effect on you to send you crashing down." Silver explained. The assailant was on the ground struggling to get up. "Don't bother, you're not out of it yet. Its effect's still there and it's making your body too heavy for you to move," Silver said glad that his new technique worked and confident that the fight was over.

"So why are yo-" Silver interrogated and while he did, the assailant recovered from his technique's effects and quickly had their gun in his face. Silver reacted and had his gun in the face of his enemy. Both were at a standstill. "It's a tie," Silver said with a grin.

"Actually it's my win, as usual," the assailant said with a feminine voice. Silver looked down and saw a bayonet knife in her other hand positioned at his heart.

"Tch, I never win." The two lowered their weapons and regained their missing equipment before meeting up in a more friendly manner.

"I can't believe you shot your knife at me?" Silver said to the girl who removed her hood to reveal her white hair.

"All this time apart and you're still a crybaby," the girl said rejecting Silver's crocodile tears.

"You know for someone with a sweet name like Bianca, you'd think that person would be more peace-loving, less battle crazy."

"Says the guy who named his guns I gave him Ceasefire," Bianca quipped but Silver wanted to know one thing.

"Why are you here? No one from Greyhound is supposed to be in Vacuo but me, especially not an elite member like you."

"Things have changed. This mission of yours shifted from optional to priority one." Silver was shocked at what she said.

"What?" His heart started beating faster and his hands were getting clammy about the change in circumstances.

"You heard me, your little vacation is at an end. The time table has sped up meani-"

"H-hold on. Fill me in on the things you're leaving out. This mission was a suicidal fail-safe in case things escalated. So tell me, happened in Atlas?" Silver felt somewhat overwhelmed by not only the appearance of a fellow member and old friend, but the fact that his mission was the new focus of Greyhound. Bianca looked at him noticing he was a little frazzled and decided to end their reunion here.

"You're sure taking your sweet time capturing that man," Bianca said with her eyes on the crook she shot earlier. He passed out from the pain so his presence was forgotten by Silver. "You've been gone a long time, I'm sure your... _friends_ are getting worried." Silver caught how she put an emphasis on friends.

"But-"

"I'll call when I want to rendezvous so we can discuss this properly. For now, know that I've been sent to assist you in hastening the process of the mission. Until then, continue your facade with those people, they might prove useful," Bianca said before walking out of the warehouse.

There wasn't much Silver could do except collect his crook and meet up with Violet and Remus. Luckily for him, they were driving up the street looking for him. When Violet and Silver locked eyes, she drove up to him. Silver noticed that two of the frozen men were sitting in the back while Remus was in the passenger seat.

"Looks like you finally got him. I thought you'd be faster than that," Violet said jokingly.

Silver's solemn face turned to a grin as he chuckled at her comment. "He was more slippery than I thought. Better late than never, right?"

Silver walked up to the car. "Remus get in the back," Silver said as he pointed to the back seat.

"He can't get in the back, that guy is going to there," Violet pointed out while pointing to the man Silver was dragging.

"Then I'll put him in the trunk."

"We can't, we already have two other guys in there and one of them is frozen so he's taking up the most space," Remus answered.

"So put him in the back and squeeze into the front Silver," Violet said ready to turn the men in.

"I'm not doing that, there's not enough room for three people."

"You have three options; Squeeze in, walk home, or, my personal favorite, have Remus sit on your lap. Your choice," Violet said with a playful grin as she looked at Silver squirm. Remus looked at Silver with ambivalence waiting for answer.

VRSZ was driving to Fortuna's police department to deliver these guys into their custody. Now that they were doing work on Clair's behalf, arrests were made for police rather than delivering them to Moneta for payment. They weren't paid by the police department, but the money they will receive from Clair would make up for it. In the jeep, the unconscious man was sitting in the back seat with his frozen companions while Silver sat in the passenger's seat, Violet in the driver's seat, and Remus squeezed in the middle with a displeased Silver staring daggers at him.

"You know you can teleport home, You don't even need a car." Silver complained more to himself, but with Remus so close he heard him.

"That would be too long a distance. I think a car is a better mode of transportation," Remus answered like it wasn't a rhetorical question and it only served to further Silver's annoyance.

"Maybe we should have strapped you to the hood, that'd make more room," Silver insulted but Remus didn't respond the way he wanted.

"Hmmm. I don't think a seat could be made on the hood and if there was one, it would only obscure Violet's driving," Remus answered with a smile then stared straight ahead.

"Freaking airhead," Silver muttered.

"What was that Silver?" Violet asked threateningly knowing he said something rude.

"Oh nothing."

Perched atop a building, Bianca was observing Silver and his friends as they drove off. "You've changed a lot since the last time we were together. You seem happier." she said to herself.

She looked at her hand with the black glove on it then made a fist before looking to the sunset. "But orders are orders, we have to follow them to the letter. I hope you can get your priorities in order my junior, you'll have to say goodbye to them soon," she said feeling sad for her friend.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Bianca means white. She is a contrast to Silver because he is unsure of whose side he's on and is currently in the middle while Bianca is completely devoted to Greyhound.**

 **Silver is equipped with regular bullets but he uses his own aura to 'nerf' them so they would injure opponents instead of kill them.**

 **Remus doesn't understand the underlying messages when people talk. Things like sarcasm fly over his head. It may not help in social situations, but it's useful in other ways. He can't be interrogated, threaten, or bribed to do something for someone, but he can be tricked or believe a lie. He responds best when people tell them exactly what they mean. He also takes expressions too literally.**


	6. Master & Apprentice

**Setting: VRSZ Base**

"Silver hurry up, I'm already late," Zelts shouted Silver from the garage.

"Hold on," Silver said from the living room.

"Silver," Remus called to him from the kitchen. With little time on his hands, Silver groaned not sure his younger friend wanted from him.

"What?" Silver said impatiently. He finally got the call from Bianca to meet with her, but first he had to drop Zelts off to CLSH's base from combat practice so it wouldn't seem suspicious that he refuse such an easy favor, but he was going to be late if Remus needed something as well.

"It's your turn to do the dishes." Remus pointed to the large pile of dirty plates and utensils that cluttered the sink.

 _"Oh hell no,"_ Silver thought before coming up with an idea.

"No Remus don't you remember? It's _your_ turn to clean the dishes."

Remus had confusion written on his face. He looked at the chore schedule Violet put up for everyone. "But it says it's your turn, right?" Remus started to feel doubtful of his claim. Silver walked over and took the schedule off the wall.

"Oh, that schedule is outdated you see, the new one was supposed to be put up earlier. See the new order is Violet, you, me, Zelts, Violet, you, Zelts, you, Zelts, you, Violet, you, Zelts, you, you... you, you,...you,you,you. So technically it's your turn today." Silver put a reassuring hand on Remus's shoulder.

"...Huh, I'm sorry Silver. I wasn't aware of the schedule change." Remus was completely convinced.

"Don't worry about it. I gotta go, so be sure to really put in some elbow grease." Silver said hastily leaving the kitchen.

"Do we have any elbow grease left?" Remus said aloud to himself as he searched the cabinets for elbow grease.

"Alright let's go," Silver said hopping into the driver's seat.

"..." Zelts stared at Silver in silence.

"What?"

"You should stop lying to Remus. You know he believes whatever you say."

"It's not my fault the kid can't tell fact from fiction. If anything, it's his fault for being so gullible."

"..." Zelts stared at his friend with disappointment.

"What, you gonna rat me out or something?" Silver said.

"No I'm not, you'll do it all on your own," Zelts was full of confidence when he said that.

"I don't follow?"

"You'll keep lying to Remus and he'll keep believing you because he thinks highly of you. One of these days, one of your many lies will catch up to you and you'll see it in action and feel like garbage. Sooner or later you'll own up to it," Zelts explained. It was Silver's turn to stare.

"I doubt it, let's get going." Silver started the jeep not wanting to know how Zelts came up with that theory.

 **Setting: Fortuna**

Silver parked the car on the side of the road and left to meet Bianca, who texted him to meet at the rendezvous point, the warehouse where they previously encountered each other two days ago. The vacant building was ideal for their private discussion. Silver entered then found Bianca sitting on a crate with her legs crossed and was staring at Silver with an irksome glare. _"Why is everyone staring at me like that? Was there a meeting about this?"_ Silver thought.

"You're late." She stated like a boss to a subordinate, but Silver knew Bianca well so he was nonchalant about it.

"I had to make a quick detour. I'm not as schedule free as you."

"I'm aware, you made some new friends on your little expedition. Do they know the reason you're here or are you using them?" Bianca went right to the point. She was very different from Silver who liked to dance around a topic before getting to the point.

Silver couldn't look her in the eye trying to answer. "They...don't know. I haven't told them anything. and even if I did...they wouldn't agree with what I'm trying to do."

"So they're a threat," Bianca stated and Silver jolted his head to look at her knowing what she intended to do.

"No- I mean yes but... I don't want them eliminated." Silver was hoping to appeal to his superior who looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "I couldn't have done this without them, so spare them, Greyhound owes them that. I never would've made it this far without them." These were his true feelings, he couldn't let Violet, Remus, or Zelts be harmed for his actions.

"You used to say the same thing about Greyhound," Bianca said more compassionate than before. Silver looked at her in silence knowing what she meant.

"I remember the story you told me about how you joined Greyhound. Born and raised on the streets of Atlas for all your life, you became a street rat, surviving on whatever you could get your hands on, and 'You can rely only on yourself,' was the motto you believed. On the rare occasion you need help, you would seek the aid of accomplices only to abandon them or rat them out for your own personal gain." Silver didn't say anything in his defense because it was all true, so he stayed silent as Bianca retold his story.

At the age of ten, you tried to steal weapons from a group of people, but they caught you and forced to make a choice, to work for their gang or die. That was the day you joined Greyhound."

"Yeah, a real fairy tale," Silver said sarcastically.

"You saw the small crime organization as a get out of hell free card, so long as you swore loyalty and did whatever they asked you to do. You showed potential, as someone from the low fodder rank, so much potential in fact that I had to take you under my wing. Actually I was new to the elite rank, so they left me with you, but I was more than eager to have a protege." When she spoke, Bianca seemed fond of the memory.

"I taught you everything I knew, even though you were so distant at first but you grew to enjoy my company just as much as I enjoy yours. You did well, but complications arose. You refused multiple missions because they involved murder. I did my best to cover for you, lessen punishments, whatever I could to keep you safe but it didn't work, you were forever recognized as fodder no matter how successful your other missions were." Silver didn't like reliving his past failures.

"Joining Greyhound did have its ups and downs, but the downs were beginning to grow."

"Which is why you're here?" Silver interrupted seeing as how his past was coming to an end and Bianca nodded.

"We're falling apart. Overtime the organization has increased in size, but the persistence of the Atlas authorities and battles against a much larger gang known as the White Fang has left Greyhound scarce on resources and in disarray."

"Which is why they sent me here to Vacuo if we ever needed to relocate and start anew. I was tasked with eliminating as many gangs as I could and anything else that could pose a threat to Greyhound. But this was meant as a last resort so I'm guessing things got worse," Silver said looking to Bianca for confirmation.

"Unfortunately, not much of us are left. Greyhound has about a hundred members, that's one-third of the original headcount. They'll be here soon, I was sent to see if you were alive and assist or to replace you if you died."

"So they send one of their greatest to replace nameless fodder? Great to know they had confidence in me," Silver said sarcastically but he was a little hurt by their lack of faith.

"I had confidence in you." Bianca said showing a sincere smile.

"...You are the only person in Greyhound who cares." Silver said with a grin.

"Of course, you were my junior. I even gave you one of my gloves as good luck, though I don't remember it being fingerless." Bianca looked at his hand.

"It got roughed up a bit while I was in Vacuo so it couldn't be avoided." Silver scratched the back of his head. He enjoyed speaking with his friend again, but he had to ask her about a more important subject matter.

"So now what? We wait for Greyhound?"

"For now, but we should do something about your associates first. They have to be removed if you don't them dead."

Silver was glad she listened to him and didn't suggest killing them, but it doesn't make the job any easier. In the back of his head he knew this would happen the minute he considered VRSZ his friends. Greyhound held a gun to his head so he was forced to do this.

"Bianca, do think... we could ever leave Greyhound?" Silver asked wanting to know her answer.

"No, like you I was part of Greyhound for most of my life. After all, my parents were members of Greyhound so it's kind of my birthright."

"You never told me about your parents." This was the first time she was telling him about her own past.

"I don't talk about them much but they're the reason I'm so devoted to Greyhound. My mother was a veteran member for a long time. She told me all about how Greyhound always looked out for those who were loyal. I want to be just like her and I've become a high ranking member like she was."

"Was?"

"Yes, she died on a mission when I was young. Greyhound was the only family I had left so staying with them was obvious."She didn't seem to show any discomfort talking about her mother's death probably because she must've made peace with it.

"You said you didn't have any other family but you said your father was in Greyhound, what about him?" Silver asked genuinely curious about Bianca's family, but he was mostly concerned about her well being.

"I never met my father. My mom hooked up with him once and that one time gave birth to me. She said she never told him about me so she raised me on her own. She also said I got my white hair from him. I heard he tried to leave Greyhound around the time I was a kid, but died. We're not that big on traitors. I never knew him, so it doesn't really bother me. Besides, a traitor is a traitor, only those who are loyal are treated fairly." Silver doubted that last statement. Greyhound had become more selfish in the past years and started looking out only for the boss and whoever she deemed useful. By his guess, Bianca was one of the lucky few and he was an afterthought.

"But I digress, Greyhound will probably be here in a week."

 _"Damn,"_ Silver cursed in his head. He couldn't prolong this any further.

"How do you want to deal with your friends? I doubt they just surrender if we asked," Bianca said folding her arms.

"Actually, I think one of them would, if I asked him the right way." Silver came up with an idea.

"Hm?" Bianca couldn't believe anyone would be dumb enough to let themselves be captured.

"Let me worry about the details. I know these guys and what they can do so I need to make preparations for things to come. " Silver pulled out his scroll and started texting someone. "I'll contact you when I have everything figured out. All I know is this, we'll being going for each member that poses the least threat then work our way up." Silver didn't even want to think about going up against the one at the top of the list.

"They're your team, you lead, I'll follow," Bianca said before getting up to leave signaling this meeting was over. "If I were completely honest, I thought you'd have a tough time deciding who to side with, I really didn't want to have to fight you but I would...but in the end I knew you'd pick the winning team, Silvester," Bianca expressed but ended with a hint of teasing.

"Ugh. Don't call me that." Silver was clearly not amused.

"Why? It is your real name," Bianca said still teasing him.

"Yeah, but I changed it to Silver because _you_ said Silvester wasn't menacing enough." This subject was obviously not his favorite.

"That was when we first met and I was only joking. You really care about my opinion don't you?"

"...Goodbye Bianca." He walked out of the warehouse not answering her question.

"So long, my Silver."

 **Setting: Ceres**

Hours later, Zelts stood in front of CLSH's home waiting for Silver to pick him up. He stayed there for fifteen minutes until he saw the car pull up. He hopped in as was about to ask Silver how his day was until he saw something irregular. Silver was sporting a black eye and he acted like it wasn't there. Zelts had several questions floating around his head about the shiner.

"Ghost and I were out and had a little accident." Silver said knowing what his friend wanted to ask.

"Do you want me to drive?" Zelts asked prepared to take over the wheel.

"Sure, thanks." Silver got out of the car to sit in the back.

"What are friends for?" Zelts said taking the wheel and starting the car.

 _"Why did you have to say that?"_ Silver thought, thinking about the consequences of his future actions.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Bianca: An elite fighter in Greyhound and Silver's superior. She is also superior to Silver in fighting besting him nearly every category. She is eighteen years old being one year Silver's senior. Being her subordinate, Bianca held Silver with high regard being the only one to care about his well being. There are also some romantic feelings on both sides.**

 **Silver's full name is Silvester Synch but prefers Silver.**


	7. Master & His Apprentices

**Setting: CLSH Base**

On the same day Silver was meant to rendezvous with Bianca, he dropped Zelts off at Team CLSH's base first. This was his first time at their home and his first time training them. He hasn't done this for anyone but his fellow members, so he felt a little nervous and uneasy. Because of his past, he always thought that training others only led to ruin. Zelts knocked on the door and just as he finished his action, the door swiftly swung open with Cerise on the other side with a huge smile on her face.

"Zelts! It's great to finally have you here! Please, come in." She took hold of his arm and pulled him into their home before he could say anything.

"Z-Zelts, sir! It's an honor to have you here, sir!" Loden was sitting on the couch with Sapphire, but was standing at attention like a soldier when she saw him walk into her home. Zelts heard from the others that she respects him the most, but he didn't expect this change in behavior. She's usually very stoic and isn't as expressive as her friends but she did act to keep them safe and in many ways, she reminded Zelts of himself and it made him smile a little.

"Uhhh, at ease?" Zelts said so Loden would loosen up and she did but she looked at him with admiration, something Zelts couldn't ask her to stop doing. "So if I heard right, you guys asked for me personally?

"Every other member of VRSZ came by to train us, so before Violet left from training us, we asked when you were going to come and she scheduled it for today," Cerise said still holding his arm against her body not realizing she was still holding his arm.

"So teach, what are we going to do today? What's our lesson plan?" Sapphire asked while still sitting on the couch swinging her legs.

"What have you been taught so far?" Zelts asked trying to think of what to do and a process of elimination could help.

"Umm...let's see, we did individual training with Remus and Silver, and Violet taught us how to use our heads in difficult situations," Hazel answered from the backdoor where she was fine tuning her Hive drones.

"Hm..." Zelts was thinking of what to do and came up with something. "Then we'll go over something fundamental for any team."

"What? What is it?" Cerise asked excited and Zelts answered with one word.

"Teamwork."

"But...we're all ready a team," Sapphire said a little puzzled about what Zelts meant.

"True, but saying you're a team isn't the same as working like a team. Even we had trouble working together. One time we messed up on a mission to wipe out Grimm and... Remus and Silver got eaten by a Nevermore."

"WHAT!?" All four girls shouted.

"Yeah, it was not pretty. Luckily for them they were swallowed whole and Remus used his railgun to blast the thing wide open." Zelts explained and the girls were just imagining what being by a Nevermore would be like, not something pleasant.

"Basically, working together is the most important thing and that's what we'll work on today. Come on."

Zelts and Team CLSH were outside behind the base with their weapons. Zelts stood on one side of the field and CSLH on the other. "Today's lesson is to work as a team and face me in battle," he said with his shield in hand. "Begin!"

The beginning of the fight started out really bad. Loden ran straight for Zelts while Sapphire threw out her cables and Cerise threw several cherry bombs. The bombs landed between Zelts and Loden and exploded creating a large dust cloud obscuring everyone's vision. At this time, Hazel deployed her wasp drones to fly over the dust cloud, ready to attack whatever comes out.

"Gotcha!" Sapphire cheered as her Spinneret cables wrapped around something.

"Hazel get ready to open fire." She pulled her arms back to bring her catch out in the open. Without hesitation, Hazel pressed the button that commanded her drones to fire laser beams at the person. Before they could stop, they realized it was Loden they were attacking. Loden reacted by quickly stabbing the ground with World Splitter and swung the spear over her creating a wall of earth that arced over her body to serve as a shield. It took the laser attacks in place of herself as she fell to the ground. Sapphire released her and Hazel withdrew her drones to regroup. Cerise could only look at the immediate failure of her team, in front of a member of VRSZ nonetheless, she never felt more embarrassed.

"When I said teamwork, I didn't mean come at me with individual strength and hope it works." Zelts scolded a little and his words did have an effect on everyone. They were a little down seeing how their actions did prove they were still rookies.

"The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If you truly work together, you can do anything, even beat me." Zelts encouraged them back into fighting spirit with his trademark smile. Cerise called her friends back and huddled together. Zelts gave them the time they needed since this wasn't a real combat situation and he wanted to see what they come up with.

"Go!" Cerise shouted and her team dispersed.

Loden charged straight for Zelts ready to face him in close combat. She used her naginata to send a wave of earth his way but his experience with this weapon gave him the best way to counter it. He put his shield up, but the wave curved and went around him. Loden did the same thing again, but went to his other side, caging him into a more confined space before engaging him head on. Zelts split the Wings of Icarus into wingblades prepared for an up close fight.

The two were locked in a duel with neither side wavering. Zelts was holding back a considerable amount, but he still felt the same joy Loden felt as she faced him while smiling. As they were fighting, Loden did something unusual and moved out of the way from an attack Zelts didn't make. When she moved Zelts understood why she did so, one of Hazel's drones fired a laser from behind and he barely moved his head out of the way, but this maneuver left him unprepared to deal with Loden who was still on the attack. Zelts was starting to see them working in unison.

The bout continued and it only got worse for Zelts. Hazel sent out her remaining two drones to fire lasers at him as he continued to fend off Loden who was miraculously dodging each of the drones' lasers while not missing a beat when she fought him. He felt the pressure of facing multiple enemies and it got worse when he saw Sapphire's cables appear above and were about to lash at him. Loden moved out of the way but so did Zelts who moved to the side as the cables hit the ground before retracting. Another set came and Zelts evaded it again and several more before she stopped. Zelts was ready to fight Loden, but noticed she left the area and he looked at his surroundings, there were dozens of Runaways around him. He suddenly understood what Sapphire was doing; each cable was holding a few of Cerise's bombs and were placing them within his range in the guise of attacks. The Runaways looked like they were about to go off and Zelts felt like doing what these bombs were named for. Zelts needed to get out of the earthy prison he was in but he couldn't. He noticed that a dome shaped force field surrounded the area and it looked like it was meant to keep him in. He jumped but hit the shield, preventing him from leaving before the bombs could go off. He looked at Team CLSH with surprise and joy.

"Great job," he said to himself before the bombs went off. All the bombs exploded but the shield was still intact, keeping the explosions contained and more damaging to Zelts. All that could be seen was smoke.

"I think we did it," Cerise said with her hands extended out in the shield's direction.

"We won, we won!" Sapphire shouted happily.

"Not quite," Zelts said from inside the dome. Cerise dispersed her shield and the smoke cleared showing Zelts with his arms out completely unharmed and his hands glowing with shimmering gold.

"That was a fine strategy, one you made in mere moments no less." Cerise couldn't help but smile feeling flustered from his praise.

"Oh stop it, it was nothing. I mean, the plan didn't work anyway," Cerise said trying to humble herself in front of her team.

"If that were anyone else, your plan might've worked. I was only saved from any damage thanks to my semblance. I think Violet would be very impressed with you Cerise." Zelts' words only fueled Cerise's embarrassment, the color of her face matched the color of her name. She was in a state of euphoria and was rambling incoherent nonsense so everyone left her in her joy.

"I'm also impressed with you Loden," Zelts said and a spark was seen in Loden's eye when he acknowledged her skills.

"What?" Loden couldn't believe she was being praised as well.

"You were able to dodge everyone of your allies attack with ease and fought me without losing a step, how did you do that?" He was learning more and more about these rookies and he was slightly interested.

"Oh uh, yes sir! My semblance is Panorama, it gives me 360 degree vision so I know who or what comes to me, sir," Loden explained.

"Basically, nothing gets by her," Sapphire commented.

"Loden, how many fingers am I holding up?" Sapphire stood behind Loden with her fingers out.

"Four, three, three, two, five, and one." Loden answered each one correctly as Sapphire changed the number of fingers and changed the location she was in. Zelts was impressed witnessing everyone's semblance today, except for Hazel who remained quiet.

With training over, Zelts and Team CLSH refreshed themselves with drinks. While the others were in the house doing their own thing, he took this time to speak with Hazel who was by herself. "Hazel, is it alright if I ask you something?"

"Y-yes."

"I don't think I've ever seen you use your semblance, what is it exactly?" Zelts asked sincerely.

"..." Hazel was hesitant to answer. She avoided eye contact, shifting her focus on everything in the living except Zelts noticed this and decided she didn't want to or more like she was afraid to talk about it.

"Never mind, I'm sorry for troubling you."

"I-I'm sorry" Her head was hanging low, but Zelts put his hands in the air defensively. "Don't worry about, I shouldn't have asked something so personal."

 _"I guess her semblance is taboo,"_

Time passed and it was time for Silver to come by and pick him up so Zelts said his goodbyes and waited outside for Silver.

 _"Those girls are getting better...maybe Violet was right, they have a better chance with us watching over them,"_ Zelts thought as he looked at the sunset _. "Maybe things won't be like last time, not with this team...or mine,"_ He had a happy expression on his face, feeling the demons of his past were fading away. They left a mark on his heart that he knew would never disappear but on days like today, it wasn't much of a bother.

Zelts heard the sound of an engine and saw the jeep drive up to the base. He was about to greet him until he saw his black eye. _"What the hell happened to him_?" Zelts thought before trying to come up with a more polite way of asking what happened.

"Ghost and I were out and had a little accident." Silver said knowing what his friend wanted to ask.

"Do you want me to drive?" Zelts asked prepared to take over the wheel.

"Sure, thanks." Silver got out of the car to sit in the back.

"What are friends for?" Zelts said taking the wheel and starting the car.

 _"Why did you have to say that?"_ Silver thought, thinking about the consequences of his future actions.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Cerise's semblance is Shield. She can create a force field in any form to protect herself and her comrades or use it offensively to trap enemies. She is limited to how many times she can do it and the shaped is usually a dome or a wall. She feels strain and fatigue if her shields are hit hard or repetitively.**

 **Loden's semblance is Panorama. She is able to see with 360 degree vision. The distance is the same as normal vision. Her semblance makes her practically immune to surprise attacks and it lets her teammates enter the fray with hr knowing where everyone is positioned. Loden's semblance is different than most because it is passive meaning it's active all the time. She prefers to be fully aware of her surroundings. The only flaw would be an attack that came from underground. The red wrapping she keeps on her arm was a gift from Cerise and sparked their friendship.**

 **Hazel's semblance is a secret that doesn't like to talk about. It scares her and so does the thought of using it on anyone, including her worst enemies. The other members of Team CLSH know what her semblance is and concluded that her semblance is the strongest and most dangerous one they've ever encountered, including the semblances of Team VRSZ. She has another secret that she hides from everyone except her team.**

 **When Remus first joined VRSZ he didn't have anything except his weapon and the clothes on his back making it extremely awkward for everyone else the first time he needed to do laundry. Violet gave him her old robe to wear until his clothes were clean then took him out to buy some casual clothes.**

 **Violet cares for her male teammates equally but treats them differently. With Remus she is kinder and more patient, saying positive and encouraging things because he is younger and is socially inept. With Zelts she shows him respect and seeks his advice seeing him as a mentor and the team's conscious. Violet treats Silver with insults and hostility but it's how they treat each other. The two have no real hate for each other, their bickering is how they bond. To Violet, Remus is like a younger brother she dotes on from time to time, Zelts is like an older brother she can always turn to for help, and Silver is like a younger brother who was close to her age and the feuded like actual siblings.**


	8. Liar

**Chapter 8: Liar**

 **Setting: VRSZ Base**

A week passed since Silver met with Bianca and Greyhound would be here the next day. For the last few days, Silver has been working on how to defeat each member of VRSZ and he was ready to put it into action. He knew that if he didn't contain his friends within the day, Greyhound would kill them without hesitation. His plan was to face each member individually in isolated areas to prevent them from contacting each other for help and he needed to work his way up the ladder. His first target was Remus Cobalt.

"Remus, hello Remus Cobalt, Coby, Remy wake up." Remus heard someone call out to him as he slept. He finally woke up to Silver standing next to his bed doing something out of character, smiling for no reason.

"Morning buddy," Silver said with more enthusiasm than usual. Remus yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Listen, I have a Grimm extermination mission and I want your help and we need to go now."

Remus looked out the window in his room and saw that the sun is barely out. It was still very early in the morning and the others probably weren't awake yet. He let out another yawn before speaking. "I'm sorry Silver, but I'm still sleepy. Can we do this some other time?"

"Oh yeah, lets speak with the Grimm and ask them if they could reschedule. How does four in the afternoon work for you?" Silver said dripping with sarcasm.

"That's good, tell them I said thanks." Remus laid his head back onto his pillow, but his rest was short lived when Silver pulled him out of bed.

"We're going now, trust me you'll have a good time, I'll even buy you breakfast first." Silver gave his friend no time to argue. A couple minutes later, Remus was fully dressed and in the car half asleep with Silver at the wheel driving through the desert.

 **Setting: Edesia**

Silver and Remus sat at a table waiting to be served. Remus looked around and notice how few people were around probably still asleep. He looked at Silver who had his menu in his hands to choose what he wanted.

"I didn't know this place served breakfast, I thought it was only open at night." Remus said before yawning.

"This place is open all the time it's just not a place many are able to get into, too expensive." Silver answered but that raised another question.

"Then how did we get in? You didn't take any of the team's money from the stash again did you?"

"Sometimes I cook here when I need some time to myself. The head chef liked my food so much that I can cook in the kitchen whenever I want, in exchange he lets me eat here for free so get whatever you want."

Remus chose a stack of pancakes and Silver chose an omelet then waited for their food to come. A few minutes later, someone walked up to their table, but it wasn't their waiter. "Hey Silver," Bianca said standing next to him before grabbing an empty chair, pulling it up to the table and sit on Silver's side.

Bianca looked at Remus who seemed a little confused, some person he doesn't know and she wanted to see how he'd react. "Hi, my name is Remus," he said with full of positive emotions, something Bianca didn't think someone would express when facing a total stranger.

"H-hello." She was slightly taken back by his sudden kindness.

"Remus, this my old friend Bianca. She'll be in Fortuna for a while and I wanted you two to meet." Silver lied knowing Remus would believe him anyway. Bianca observed Remus to see if he showed any suspicious because she couldn't believe there is anyone in the world who would be that gullible despite what Silver told her about him.

Remus looked a little surprised. "Silver, you have friends other than us?" he asked completely surprised by this news.

"Of course I have friends, did you think I was by myself most of my life?" Silver was a little offended by the accusation, but Bianca found it funny.

"Kind of, Violet said you're off-putting, crude, and obnoxious, so you wouldn't really be tolerated by anyone besides us," Remus said innocently.

Silver's eye twitched and Bianca put her hand to her mouth to smother her laughter. She knew these were the words that best described her junior. "I don't really know what those words mean, but she said not to worry about it," Remus said, but Silver still looked annoyed.

"Sounds like this Violet has you pegged. She knows you well," Bianca said before giggling again. Silver ignored her and continued with his plan.

"Anyway, Bianca is going to come with us to help with the Grimm, we're going after breakfast, is that okay with you? "

"Sure."

The food eventually came and the two ate their breakfast while Bianca sat and watched. Remus ate his food with so much emotion on his face. Every bite seemed to be better than the last based on the different faces of joy he had for each mouthful. Something about watching him made Bianca grin a little. This boy was so pure, very sincere and trusting, but he's also naive, vulnerable to the evil and darkness in this world. Silver's deception was a fine example.

"Do you want some?" Remus asked looking at Bianca.

"What?" She stared at him pushing some of his untouched pancakes to her. "Oh-oh no thank you, enjoy them." Bianca felt like this boy's charisma was reaching to her as well, she almost didn't want to betray his trust.

 **Setting: Desert**

Silver, Remus, and Bianca engaged the horde of Grimm they were tasked with eliminating. Bianca and Remus were battling on the ground taking out a few of them while Silver was driving the jeep running over as many Grimm as he could. He drove like a man gone wild, bumping into and trampling as many Creeps, killing most of them and severely hurting the ones that lived before Bianca cut them down with the bayonets equipped to her guns. Remus teleported into the sky to deal with two Nevermores circling the battle. He teleported on the back of a Nevermore and stabbed its neck with screams of pain echoing from the beast. With his sword still stuck in the Grimm's body, he grabbed the hilt of it and steered it to the left causing the Nevermore to do the same and crashing into the other one. The two Grimm were falling to the ground in a heap and Remus teleported above them and changed his sword to railgun mode. He shot several quick bolts of energy at the Nevermores hurting them and driving them further to the ground while the power of each blast kept Remus in the air which helped him charge for one final shot. He pulled the trigger, releasing a powerful laser beam aiming for the Nevermores that were wounded on the ground. The energy laser met its mark and pierced the bodies of the Grimm, causing a considerable explosion that destroyed their bodies and made a ditch in the sand.

Bianca stopped what she was doing when she felt the explosion. _"That kid is impressive. Can Silver's scheme really work on him?"_

When she was looking at Remus an Ursa approached her from behind and saw this as the opportune moment to kill her, but Bianca pointed her gun at it without changing her line of sight and shot it in the several times until it died. A bigger more ferocious one appeared ready to fight her, an Ursa Major. Before the two could engage in battle, Silver was behind the Ursa Major, charging right for it in the jeep and pressed a red button on the dashboard. A small salvo of missiles opened beneath the side-view mirrors and two of the missiles were launched to hit the Ursa Major. The missiles hit their target, the first one destroyed the bone plating of the Grimm and the second one killed it by blowing it up.

 _"Thank you Onyx,"_ Silver thought as he drove up to Bianca who quickly got in the passenger seat as he continued to drive around the desert. "Having fun?" Silver asked rhetorically.

"We need to end this now. Silver drive around the remaining Grimm and pick up Remus."

"You going to use Stardust?" Silver asked and she nodded.

There were a few Grimm left, mostly several Ursa left and a King Taijitu bearing its fangs on Remus who was defending against one head while evading the other. Silver drove around the battle field, but was simply moving around and not hitting the remaining Grimm.

"Your little friend has a lot of potential." Bianca was very impressed with Remus's combat capabilities. He battled the serpent evenly, but was quickly gaining the upper hand.

"That or he's stupid, I'm still kinda debating on that, but yeah he's pretty good. Unfortunately for him, to keep to the plan going we have to end his fun," Silver said and Bianca flipped her hair so it was flowing in the wind, but now it was shimmering like they were stars in the night sky.

The sparkling particles that was covering her hair was leaving a trail as they moved around the area with the stardust flying around harmlessly doing nothing to the Grimm or Remus. With her Stardust covering the entire field, Silver drove over to Remus who was too occupied with the snakelike Grimm to notice the particles passing by him. Remus stood atop one of the King Taijitu's head ready to slice its head off until Silver rammed into it, causing Remus to lose his balance and fall into the jeep, specifically in Silver's lap making him drive out of control.

"Why did you do that?! I had it!" Remus complained folding his arms and not moving from his position.

Silver was too busy making sure they were out of the star cluster and didn't crash to care about his companion being in his personal space. Bianca couldn't help but laugh at their comedic buffoonery. "What are you laughing at!?" Silver yelled finally finding his way out Bianca's Stardust.

"You guys are so funny I can't help it." She was doing her best to catch her breath. _"You really are good friends with them,_ "

"Okay Bianca, do your thing!" Silver turned the car around and stopping the car a good distance away from the Grimm in the star cluster.

The Grimm were fascinated by the shiny particles, stopping their rampage to look at them with awe.

"Consider it done." Bianca stood from her seat and extended her gloved hand. The black glove's outline glowed red as Bianca grinned and snapped her fingers. The shiny particles turned red and in a giant flash, they spontaneously engulfed all the Grimm in a fiery blaze. The three passengers sat in the car and watched the spectacle.

"Coool!" Remus yelled like a child seeing fireworks for the first time.

Bianca smiled feeling flattered by the boy's admiring comment. She had to admit she liked him a lot which made her feel bad about what's about to happen next. With all the Grimm dead, Silver had to begin the plan.

"Remus, we have somewhere we'd like to take you." Silver worded it so they didn't sound distrustful but he knew his innocent comrade would believe him.

"Where are we going?" He was still in Silver's lap looking up at him with curiosity.

 _"Oh damn, this is harder than I thought,"_

Silver looked to Bianca for help and all she did was shrug her shoulders. "Um, it's a surprise. A surprise for you and everyone in VRSZ." He was improvising on the spot. "Let's go." He drove back to Fortuna.

 **Setting: Fortuna**

Silver drove up to an apartment building and parked the car in front of it. "Is this the surprise? Wait, it has nothing to do with robots does it?" Remus asked seriously from the back seat looking at the building.

"It's better to say this is a part of it. This place is where Bianca stays. She renting a room while she's here in Fortuna and helping me with the surprise." Silver continued with his string of lies as he got out and Bianca guided them to her room.

She unlocked the door to her apartment. It was like any normal apartment; a little living room with a couch and coffee table, a small kitchen and a hallway leading to a bedroom, a bathroom, a guest room and a closet.

"I like it," Remus said scanning the place.

"Thank you Remus, Silver wasn't as appreciative as you," Bianca said looking at Silver.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, he's impressed by a everything, one time I made him believe I could pull my thumb off my hand," Silver said but it didn't bother her.

"Listen, we need to get Violet and Zelts, so you stay here while we get them," Silver said ready to leave.

"I can't come with you?" Remus said a little sad that he wasn't coming along. Bianca thought this would happen, despite what Silver said about him, she didn't believe he would just listen and obey, but she was also starting to feel something looking at his pitiful face. Silver himself felt something in the pit of his stomach, a feeling he didn't like.

"No you can't, if this is going to work we need you to stay here. Just watch TV or something, this is going to take all day," Silver said, the feeling wasn't going away and it got worse when he saw his friend's dejected face, even Bianca was feeling bad so she exited her apartment. Silver wished he could do the same.

"Look this is for the best, we need to do this a certain way. Don't look so sad, everything will be fine" The feeling inside him intensified. "I promise all this will have a happy ending." Silver felt like his body was turning inside out.

Remus looked him in the face and smiled a little. "...Okay, I trust you Silver." His words made Silver feel like a terrible person, but he kept up the positive facade.

Silver exited the room with Remus happily watching him until he closed the door. He pressed his back against it then slide down to the floor just sitting there looking at the ground. He placed his hand on his chest feeling the pain begin to die down, then he remembered what Zelts told him.

 _"You'll keep lying to Remus and he'll keep believing you because he thinks highly of you. One of these days, one of your many lies will catch up to you and you'll see it in action and feel like garbage. Sooner or later you'll own up to it,"_

 _"He was right, I really do feel like trash,"_

If he could, he would stop this plan, but he decided to continue with his actions knowing it was burning every bridge he made. He got up and walked down the stairs to the entrance of the apartment. He opened the front door and he was outside with Bianca standing next to the jeep.

"Thanks for leaving me," Silver complained as he got into the driver's seat. Bianca had sad eyes herself, she got in the car and stared at the dashboard.

"That wasn't easy for you. He really trusts you." She showed her concern and Silver leaned back in his seat with his eyes shut.

"I thought I was doing this in the order of least resistance but man I was wrong, he was probably the hardest."

"I know how you feel, you think of him as your junior as I do you. It's hard, especially for someone you care for."

When he heard the second sentence Silver looked at her because she got it right. "You care for them, that's why we're doing this, so they won't be caught in the middle and we have to fulfill it before day's end." He knew she spoke the truth. Silver looked at the sun and steeled himself before starting the car.

"It's noon, we need to hurry with the next one on the list, Zelts."

"Will he be any easier?"

"Emotionally yes, we just have to fight him, that just means there'll be nothing but physical pain. We might get some broken bones, definitely a couple of bruises, and who knows, maybe a concussion," Silver said and Bianca didn't seem happy about his guess.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Remus's honesty keeps him truthful and Zelts taught him to be kind so he is well liked by almost everyone he meets. He even likes everyone including the people he fought for their bounties. He's thankful for Terra Cotta bringing VRSZ together, he wasn't a fan of nearly drowning by Turquoise but he thought she was a fun person based on the things she had in her headquarters. This charisma is his strongest quality. Also he has a history with robots and other similar machinations and it left him a little hostile towards them. If there is one thing in Remnant Remus doesn't like it's robots.**

 **Violet and Silver do one activity that doesn't involve any bickering and that's watching soap operas. It's the only time they can casually sit together and enjoy each other's company quietly. It's such a rare phenomenon that Remus and Zelts do their best not to disturb the tranquility.**

 **Zelts has a hobby of playing chess because he enjoys the level of focus and patience that comes with the game. He is also the reigning champion in the base. Violet is a worthy opponent, Remus has yet to fully know all the rules, and Silver is too impatient to finish a game, leaving when he's had enough. However, because Zelts hasn't lost yet, it's currently unknown if he's a sore loser or not.**

 **Bianca's semblance is Stardust. Her aura emits shining particles that move harmlessly in the air. The best it could do in this form is distract or blind opponents unless she adds dust like fire dust to ignite them all.**

 **The theme of Team CLSH is Stand Out by natewantstobattle. The song represents their desire to be recognized as true huntresses by everyone, but mostly by their seniors, Team VRSZ whom they have the highest respect.**


	9. Gold & Silver

**Setting: VRSZ Base**

"And that's how I faked my death. I was finally ready to live for myself rather than be a pawn in my father's insanity." Violet was telling Zelts about her life before VRSZ as part of their deal to share their stories. Violet laid down on the couch looking up at the ceiling while Zelts was sitting on the love seat. "So what do think?" Violet asked looking at Zelts while laying down which made everyting upside down.

Zelts had his fingers on his head trying to comprehend what he just heard. "I-I-I'm astonished. After everything you've gone through, how are you not crazy?"

He felt like he was viewing Violet in a whole new light. "I don't know, I just didn't want to be a part of it." She was nonchalant with her answer. "You weren't infected in anyway?" he asked.

"Nothing has come up in the past few years so no."

"...Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm a little scared of you now."

Violet stared at him and started laughing making Zelts flinch. "Ahaha! You're funny Zelts, there's no need to be afraid of me," she said and yet he was still a little scared of her.

Silver entered the base by himself. Violet and Zelts turned their attention to him. "There you are. I was wondering when you'd get back." Violet said.

"I left a note on the fridge, Remus and I were going out for a morning job."

"Speaking of which, where's Remus? Why isn't he with you?" Violet asked getting a little worried.

"He's fine, he's in Fortuna. Just hanging out." It was half true, Remus was in Bianca's apartment just hanging out until Silver finished his job. Violet seemed to be fine with his answer seeing as how she wasn't pressing him for more info.

"Zelts can I see you for a minute, I need a favor," Silver said walking to the door.

Zelts looked at Violet who shrugged her shoulders then followed his companion. "What's up?"

"Turns out the job was a little harder than we thought and we need your help." Silver tried to look defeated. Zelts arched his eyebrow.

"Wait, what happened?" Zelts asked keeping his voice in check so Violet couldn't hear him understanding why Silver wanted to keep this from her.

"The job was more difficult than we thought so Remus stayed behind to hold off the Grimm while I came to get the cavalry, in this case you," Silver lied.

"Come on, help me out. I don't want to go to Violet with my tail between my legs." Zelts looked at him plead then let out a sigh.

"Alright let's go."

 **Setting: Desert**

Silver drove Zelts through the desert far from the base and far from Fortuna.

"I still can't believe you left Remus alone, in the desert, with Grimm." Zelts was not happy about the circumstances.

"What can I say he...leveled up," Silver said but Zelts looked at him confused.

"What?"

"I don't know. It's something he's says now. Besides he can hold his own and we're almost there."

They have been driving for a while and Zelts was quiet about it, but he noticed there was something wrong here. They've been driving for a long time and there was no sign of Remus or Grimm, not to mention the town was far away and Silver was focused on driving to nowhere. This was not right, Silver wasn't telling him the full story. "Silver, why are you lying to me?"

Silver stopped driving. "Can't get anything around you. Remus was easier."

"What is going on?" Zelts asked not sure what was about to happen, but he kept his guard up.

"I need you out of the car for a minute." Silver clearly avoided his question. Zelts complied only to progress the conversation and Silver did the same. He walked a few feet away from the jeep looking at the endless sand and Zelts followed him, standing a good distance away. He did not like where this was going. The sun was high in the sky signifying it was the middle of the day.

"Silve-" Zelts was about to ask his friend what he wanted until Silver pulled his gun on him.

Zelts quickly reached for the Wings of Icarus on his back and held it in front of him hearing gunshots being fired and bullets ricocheting of his weapon. "The hell are you doing?!"

"Don't worry about it. Even if I told you the truth it won't change how this will all end."

Silver seized the moment and ran to Zelts while he still had his shield up. He sidestepped to get Zelts in his sights, changed his guns to twin staff mode, and raised his arms to strike, but Zelts anticipated this and reached one hand out to grab Silver's arm stopping his attack. He tightened his grip and threw Silver over his shoulder. Silver activated Gravity to lighten himself and increase the distance of the throw and to land safely. Before he hit the ground, Silver changed Ceasefire back into guns and fired at Zelts who continued to defend with his shield. Silver landed in the sand and changed his weapon again knowing his long range forte wouldn't work well against Zelts and his shield since it covers his whole body. He needed to rely on close combat, something Zelts is good at.

Deciding to go on the offensive, Zelts split his shield to their wingblade form and darted for Silver. With a swing of his arm, he attacked, but Silver intercepted with both his staffs. It was clear that Zelts had the most physical strength in VRSZ, Silver was able to block the blade, but his body was moving, being pushed back by raw power and the lack of grip in the sand wasn't helping either. With Gravity, he increased gravity's affect on himself to make his body heavy enough to stop being pushed around. Zelts lifted both arms to slam them down on Silver but the previous maneuver was repeated, Silver raised his arms and blocked the blades with his staffs but this proved ineffective. The sheer force of Zelt's attack combined with Silver's semblance still active created a small crater beneath Silver's feet and his arms started to shake from the pain of the impact. He backed away, staggering with every step until he tripped and fell to his knees.

"Now tell me the meaning of this?" Zelts asked calmly hoping to resolve this before it got too out of hand.

Silver didn't speak as his former teammate towered over him. Suddenly, they heard something that sounded like it was coming from the car. Silver saw and looked shocked while Zelts turned to see what it was, a missile from the salvo heading toward them. Silver used his semblance to lighten his body and jumped up high in the air out of harm's way, leaving Zelts to be hit by the missile. He had his shield up quick enough to block the attack, but the explosion knocked him back considerably and it did hurt him. Silver landed in the same place he jumped and looked at the jeep.

"Could've warned a guy. I didn't even hear you get out of the trunk."

"It's called having faith, you should try, it's fun," Bianca said from the driver's seat of the jeep.

She looked past her junior to Zelts who was getting up. "He bounces back fast," she complimented before firing another one.

Silver ducked ready to hear a another explosion, but it never came. He lifted his head to look at Bianca who wore a face of pure amazement then turned his head only to have the same expression. Zelts held the missile in his hands as the weapon was still going until Zelts activated his semblance. His hands glowed a shimmering gold and so did the missile then it didn't and it also stopped moving, meaning Zelts's Conversion drained all the dust in the missile, making it a dud. He dropped the empty husk onto the ground and stared at the duo.

"Okay, that's scary." Bianca said.

"That's not all, his weapon was melded with wind dust so a swing could release a strong wind for mid-range combat. To make things worse, when he absorbs energy he gets stronger and can convert it again into his wind dust to give it an electrical charge." Silver explained but it didn't make Bianca feel better.

"Are you sure we can win?"

"...Maybe."

With increased strength, Zelts leaped toward Silver swinging his blades like the first attempt and just like the first attempt, Silver used Gravity to keep himself grounded but it didn't work this time. The physical boost from Conversion not only pushed Silver back, it lifted him of his feet and sent him flying into the hood of the car denting it. He landed on his butt and groaned in pain. Bianca sprang into action by jumping out of the jeep and running toward Zelts. She pointed her gun and pressed the button that shot her bayonet knife at him, but Zelts quickly deflected the small weapon with his much larger one, not only did his strength increase but his reflexes as well. One swing from one of his wingblades and he unleashed a strong wind to hit Bianca who was carried away by the golden gale until she felt the jolting pain of the electrical current running through it making her scream in pain. Finally recovered, Silver moved in to catch Bianca before she landed in the sand.

"We're not going to win one on one," he said.

 _"Silver, why are you doing this?"_ Zelts thought to himself feeling betrayed but he also felt something else, Silver didn't want to do this either, his expressions were a dead giveaway and it was obvious his heart wasn't into this, it was in pain. It was like he was forcing himself to fight which is why Zelts was holding back considerably until he can figure this out.

 _"Maybe she's making him do this_?" Zelts glanced at Bianca who was looking back. _"I'll take her down first,"_

Silver and Bianca dashed for Zelts who had his wingblades up. Silver ran ahead of Bianca and got down on one knee, glowing from activating his semblance, Bianca put her leg on his back and she glowed from being affected by his Gravity. Using his body as a springboard, she jumped to get high in the air, gaining Zelts' attention so Silver could move in for a surprise attack on the ground. This would've worked if Zelts hadn't seen this same technique used in Silver and Violet's **Thick as Thieves** combination. It bothered him a little, seeing it being used against him and mostly with Silvr doing it with someone other than Violet. He kept his focus on Silver who rushed in with his twin staffs. Silver noticed Zelts was ready for him, but he couldn't stop his assault, he aimed for his shoulder, but was blocked by the winglades. Zelts moved him out of the way by tossing him behind his back then changed his attention to Bianca whose hair was shining white similar to when his hands shine gold with his semblance. However, before he was completely thrown aside, Silver picked up a handful of sand and threw it in Zetls face, blinding him.

Silver regained his footing and moved to attempt his previous course of action now that he was in his blind spot, but this proved to futile again. Despite not being able to see, Zelts knew where everyone was and knew what to do next, he spun around and created a large golden tornado that pushed Silver back far away and consumed Bianca, but she didn't let this stop her. She twisted her body so it was spinning with the tornado, helping to disperse her Stardust until it covered the entire force of wind. She didn't miss a beat and pointed her guns at him and started firing everything she had, without a doubt, she considered him a tough opponent. With the some energy left from Conversion and the wind from the tornado clearing his sight, Zelts stopped spinning and swung both blades in her direction. The sheer strength of his arms and the force of the wind not only deflected her bullets, but it got to her, striking her with lightning again as it pushed her far out of the tornado until she was above it at a life threatening altitude, however, this is what she wanted, to get out of her Stardust cluster that was now covering Zelts, but it came at the cost of her aura braking and being too wounded to find a way to break her fall. He didn't know what this stuff was but it seemed harmless as its only served to obscure his vision slightly.

"Silver!" Bianca shouted as she plummeted to her potential death.

Silver ran as fast as he could then activated his semblance to completely remove gravity's effect on him and jumped high into the air to save her. He meet her before the ground did and held her tight in his arms. "Thank you."

She turned her head to Zelts, who still hasn't moved from inside the Stardust. Her the outline of her glove glowed yellow and she snapped her fingers. The Stardust particles began to jolt with electricity and began to unleash a surge of lightning, sounding like thunder and consuming Zelts who felt the pain at first, but activated Conversion to absorb the lightning and prevent any further damage. The amount of Stardust was equal to the size of his tornado, so he had a lot to take in as he continued to convert the dust into energy, but something was wrong, as he drained more the cluster was gradually getting smaller but it stopped. His eyes were glowing gold as he took in as much as he could until he couldn't anymore. _"I reached... my limit,"_ Zelts thought fatigued.

The remaining lightning actually shocked him and he screamed in pain from the continuous damage as it broke through his aura. "AAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!"

"How did you know that would work?" Silver asked descending to the ground.

"I didn't. Guess he can only absorb a certain amount, that's why he funnels it into his body and weapons, to get rid of some so he can absorb more. He can't take it in if he's fully charged, like a battery," Bianca summarized as she watched her lightning Stardust disperse. All that was left was Zelts standing still before falling to his knees. He was alive thanks to his aura taking most of the hit before braking, but too hurt to resist them anymore, the battle was over.

Silver made it to the ground and helped Bianca to her feet, but she collapsed from the pain, falling down onto one knee. Silver immediately came to her side to aid her but she waved him off. "I'm fine, that fight just took a lot out of me. Go secure your friend," she said between breathes. She gave him a pair of high tech cuffs and stayed behind as he went over to a defeated Zelts.

Silver stood before Zelts who barely moved. His hands were behind him, most likely trying to reach for his discarded weapons, but he was having no luck, he was no longer a threat.

"Silver what is the meaning of this?" he said even though it sounded like it hurt to talk. "Are you really betraying VRSZ? Tell me this is a misunderstanding."

"It's exactly what it looks like, I'm done playing you lot. It was fun while it lasted but I have to get back to Greyhound, I used up all my vacation days," Silver said with his cool guy attitude.

"You don't mean that."

"Of course I do and after you comes Violet, then it'll be over."

"Just Violet? Don't tell me..." Zelts's throat was too soar to continue speaking.

"That's right, Remus has already been dealt with, don't worry you'll be seeing him shortly." Silver put the cuffs on Zelts's wrists. "It all ends today."

With his semblance he lightened Zelts and dragged him to the jeep into the back seat. Silver drove back to Fortuna knowing Zelts was no longer a threat. Instead of placing him in Bianca's apartment because Remus would be asking questions he didn't want to answer so he took him someplace else, the old factory building with all the crates, the place Silver and Bianca first encountered one another.

 **Setting: Abandoned Factory**

Bianca was too hurt to walk inside with Silver, so she stayed behind and left it to him. Silver dragged Zelts in and dropped him on the floor to tie and restrain his legs. He had a cloth to gag him so he couldn't yell for help.

"You won't be in here for long, only until the end of the day," Silver said, but received silence as a response.

He looked at Zelts' face and was met with a glare, but this wasn't like the usual scolding ones he gives to others, this one was filled with anger and sadness. Anger for the actions Silver committed against VRSZ and sadness that he would do this willingly. Silver stared back, but broke eye contact not wanting to continue. He quickly gagged him and left.

"No more harm will come to you but, when this is over, it'll be the last time any of you will be in Fortuna," Silver said more to himself than to inform Zelts. He wanted to say one truth to ease his conscious. Silver left Zelts in the factory to wait patiently.

 **Setting: Bianca's Apartment**

Bianca was sitting on the couch with bandages wrapped around her arms, right leg, abdomen, and another placed on her left cheek. Next to her was Remus who was staring at her with zero discretion and it made her feel a little uncomfortable. "Can I help you?"

"Bianca, are you sure you're okay?" Remus asked with sad eyes. His concern touched her a little, this boy only met her a few hours ago and he already cared for her well being.

"I'm fine, really," she answered kindly but he didn't seem convinced based on his sad doubtful expression.

"If you need anything, I'll get it for you." His words warmed her heart.

"He is so sweet, can we keep him?" she asked Silver who was in the kitchen area.

"I think Violet would fight you on that." Silver was putting away Bianca's first aid kit. Fortunately for him, Zelts didn't really damage him as much as he did Bianca.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I got several calls from Violet," Remus said and it alarmed the other two.

"You didn't answer did you?" Silver asked with his heart racing a little faster than normal. Everything he's done so far could've been for nothing in one phone call.

"No. You texted me not to talk to Violet today cause it would ruin the surprise so I let it ring." His answer put Silver at ease, his plans weren't thwarted. "Good."

A few hours passed and the sun was setting outside. Silver and Bianca used this time to quickly mend their wounds from their previous battle. Unfortunately, Bianca took the heavier hits, so she was going to take longer to recover, too long for Silver to wait then get Violet. Silver took her outside to talk about it.

"Change in plans, I'm going to face Violet alone."

"What do mean?" Silver gently placed his hand on her bandaged arm and she flinched in pain.

"You're too hurt to help and Violet will have no problem exploiting that. She'll be the toughest one to beat," He said in a serious tone.

"We removed the other two, how bad can she be?"

"People always underestimate her when she's compared to us, but she's leader for a reason. She has many talents and we just disabled her greatest one," Silver said but the last part left Bianca confused.

"How did we do that? All we did was go for the other two."

"Exactly. There's something about her that brings out the strength in other people, making them stronger. So by removing Remus and Zelts from the equation, we... I have a much better chance of fighting her," Silver said but Bianca wanted to know one more thing.

"She sounds formidable." Bianca was impressed by what Silver told her. She really wanted to meet Violet in person to see if she lived up to the hype.

"You have no idea. She might even give you a run for your money." Silver said in a sarcastic tone, but he meant every word.

"Do you think you can win?" Bianca asked.

Silver was silent for a while. "I don't know. The only advantage I have is better aim. I also have the element of surprise, but she also has access to a lot of dust. The battle could go either way depending on how I approach this." Despite preparation, Silver wasn't all that sure if he could win.

"I'll see once I get there," Silver said as he walked to the jeep. He drove out of Fortuna heading straight for the base of Team VRSZ.

 **Setting: VRSZ Base**

Silver arrived back home just as the sun settled, making way for the night sky. He parked the jeep in the garage and entered the living room. It was dark, no lights were on, giving off the feeling that no one was home. _"Did she go out or something?"_ Silver thought perplexed.

She was doing her job of keeping Fortuna safe so she may have gone out to survey things. He went upstairs to peek into her room but she wasn't there, he came back down and walked to his old room. He figured he should do some packing since this is the last time he'll be here. He entered, but felt a presence in the room, looking around he saw no one but he couldn't help feel like someone was watching him. He looked to his bed, blinked, then out of nowhere someone was there. He reeled back ready to fight, but he recognized who it was, Violet.

"Violet! Why are you trying t scare me!?" he asked but he was met with silence and a cold stare. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, but silence was his answer again. "If this is about the hood of the jeep I can explain. The Grimm were-" he tried to fabricate another lie, but Violet raised her scroll for him to see. He didn't know what this meant until she pressed a button with her thumb.

"Voicemail from Zelts," the voice in the scroll said. Silver didn't know what she wanted him to hear until it was too late.

* * *

 _"Silver what is the meaning of this? Are you really betraying VRSZ? Tell me this is a misunderstanding."_

 _"It's exactly what it looks like, I'm done playing you lot. It was fun while it lasted but I have to get back to Greyhound, I used up all my vacation days."_

 _"You don't mean that."_

 _"Of course I do and after you comes Violet, then it'll be over."_

 _"Just Violet? Don't tell me..."_

 _"That's right, Remus has already been dealt with, don't worry you'll be seeing him shortly. It all ends today."_

* * *

The voicemail ended and Silver felt the dangerous situation he was in. _"When did he-"_ Silver thought to himself but remembered something from before;

 _"I'm fine, that fight just took a lot out of me. Go secure your friend," she said between breathes._ _She gave him a pair of high tech cuffs and stayed behind as he went over to a defeated Zelts. Silver stood before Zelts who barely moved._ _His hands were behind him, most likely trying to reach for his discarded weapons, but he was having no luck, he was no longer a threat._

 _"He wasn't reaching for The Wings of Icarus, he was reaching for his scroll to warn Violet, it was in his back pocket!"_ Silver thought cursing himself for never suspecting Zelts to do something that clever.

Silver brought his attention back to Violet who looked extremely livid and he remembered the words she told him in the past;

 _"Oh and Silver."_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"Never betray me," Violet said in an commanding tone that could be mistaken as a warning._

He was screwed. Violet pulled out two Vorpal Swords ready to destroy him. Silver lost the element of surprise, one of his two advantages, and was about to understand why you shouldn't cross Violet.

"Son of a bitch."

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Even though Loden and Remus are the same age and his birth date was never given, she is indeed older than him.**

 **In the Origin of VRSZ, Violet mentioned Remus sporting a line across the right side of his head and thought it was a long scar or part of his hair style. She eventually asked him what it was and he confirmed it was a scar. Horrified, she asked him what happened, but Remus said he doesn't know how he got it. His scar is across the right side of his head in a design similar to Tron lines.**

 **Silver is a dirty fighter. He will use any method and cheap trick to win. Hair pulling, eye gouging, hitting the groin, stepping on toes, twisting arms, and throwing sand in the face. In fact, if Silver ever leaves the desert, he will put some sand in his pocket just in case.**


	10. VRSZ Silver, A Line In The Sand

**Setting: VRSZ Base**

Violet was silently looking at Silver with stern eyes and emitting emotions he couldn't discern. Silver could admit to himself that he was terrified. He looked at her while slowly inching toward Ceasefire as his heart raced faster than ever. As he reached for his weapon, Violet already has hers drawn gaining full control of the room. _"There's no talking to her, she's pissed off,"_

He quickly grabbed his guns from their holsters, but Violet already closed the distance between them, bringing her leg back and kicked Silver hard in the gut. The force knocked him off his feet and broke through the bedroom door, falling on his back, but quickly got on his feet with his twin staffs in hand. He heard the sound of something pierce the ground, looked up and saw two Vorpal Swords with fire dust glittering on the hilt.

"Dammit!"

Silver got back as quick as he could before they could ignite, but was caught up in the force of the explosion, pushing him down the hallway he broke through the banister and fell into the living room on his side. He was still hurt from his previous fight with Zelts, but even without the injuries, he didn't think it mattered. Violet walked through the hallway, stepping over the broken door without keeping her eyes off Silver and bearing a very angry face.

"How dare you betray me! Not only do you go after me, but you have the audacity to go after Remus and Zelts as well!" she screamed madder than before as she jumped down to the living room.

Silver didn't respond, anything he said now would not quell her rage so he gripped his staffs. "If you wanted to prove you weren't one of us then congratulations! You just drew the line in the sand!" Violet was beyond reason now as she dashed for Silver and he did the same, clashing with each other in close combat while destroying the confines of the house.

Violet had one of her daggers in one hand and a throwing knife in another as she battled with her former teammates. As they battled each other, memories of their time together ran through the house; A memory flashed of their time getting through the hot days in the desert, Silver sitting on the couch shirtless covered in sweat and Violet staring daggers at him.

Silver used both staffs and hit Violet on her side, pushing and knocking her over the couch, but she quickly recovered and saw Silver jump over the couch. She threw her knife at his face and he quickly dodged by pulling his head back, but Violet knew this was coming, so immediately after she threw the knife, she charged to tackle Silver. She grabbed him when they collided and wrestled him into the kitchen.

The memory of Silver serving the team their first meal together flashed by. Violet was skeptical at first, but her expression changed when she tasted it thinking she could get accustomed to this food.

Their tumble caused them to crash into the new table they bought, breaking several legs and scattering the chairs. Silver was on top, but she had her feet pressed against his gut and kicked him away, knocking him into the fridge. He grabbed it from behind and pulled it down to the floor to use as a shield. He got on the other side, changed his staffs to handguns, and began firing. Violet got behind the busted table to use as a shield as well, but it was less durable than the fridge. It was giving out and she was pinned down. She kept herself low to the ground until she stopped hearing gunfire. Silver was reloading with the extra rounds he keeps on his person and Violet used this opportunity to change location.

Silver quickly reloaded Ceasefire and continued his onslaught reducing the table into a pile of wood, but no sign of Violet. He kept low and surveyed the area searching for her. He saw nothing until he saw something shine in the moonlight. Out of nowhere, a Vorpal Sword flew by his head. He ducked as the knife hit the wall behind him and released electricity. Silver figured out she moved behind the couch and was ready to open fire on her again not knowing she was doing the same thing with both her hands in her bag.

Silver unleashed a hail of gunfire and Violet let loose a storm of Vorpal Swords, each one cancelling each other out, similar to their first fight and meeting in Terra Cotta's base. The battle was a stalemate, neither side giving in until Violet stopped throwing her knifes and ducked behind the couch. Silver kept firing, taking this opportunity to finally gain the upper hand. The dust in the Vorpal Swords Violet threw were glowing red. They were scattered all across the kitchen floor.

"Dammit!" Silver cursed as he opened the door to the fridge. All of the Vorpal Swords went off at once, engulfing the kitchen and living room in an inferno. Violet already had knives with earth dust lined in front of her, the risen barrier of rock kept her safe from her own attack while the fallen fridge was skyrocketed to the second floor by the force, specifically, it jettisoned into Violet's room.

A memory flashed of the time Violet entered her room to find Silver laying on the bed and Remus sitting on the floor next to it, both of them reading her hidden collection of comic books before she scolded them not only for trespassing, but for reading her comics. She was embarrassed ,but glad they didn't make fun of her large collection of comics and happy that a common interest was shared.

The fridge busted through the floor, breaking the mattress and crashing into the ceiling before falling on top of her desk, thus destroying it. The bed was flung across the room into Violet's private bathroom, breaking the door, sink, and what remained of the mattress landed in the tub. With no more movement in the room, the fridge door opened revealing Silver who used it as a last ditch effort to escape the explosion, he was banged up but better than he would be if he didn't think on his feet. He used this moment of peace to catch his breath, thinking that Violet was doing the same thing until he heard the garage door open. He looked out the window but didn't see anything until he heard the roar of an engine and saw Violet in the jeep drive away like a bat out of hell.

 _"Is she retreating? That'll make this whole thing-huh?"_ Silver thought until he saw her make a U-turn in the distance. He didn't know what she was planning until he saw the salvo of missiles come out the sides.

"Son of a bitch." He understood now that Violet was not someone you'd ever want to cross.

She unleashed all of the remaining missiles directly toward the base. Silver had no idea what to do next, but brace for impact. Each missile destroyed a portion of the base, blowing up the kitchen, everyone's rooms, the living room, even Violet's bedroom. Violet jumped out of the car as it crashed into the house. She threw a Vorpal Sword with lightning dust at the fuel tank. It sparked and ignited the gasoline, causing one last massive explosion. The base that Violet, Remus, Silver, and Zelts called home was gone, nothing left but burnt wood, scorched metal, and the whatever remained on the first floor set ablaze. The debris was flung behind the house, scattering across the desert, including Silver, who was exhausted and crawling in the sand to reach for Ceasefire which was several feet away from him.

 _"I can't let it end here. I've come too far to stop now,"_

He reached for one of his guns until a foot stepped on his hand. He looked up and to see Violet glaring at him in anger. _"I...failed. I'm no match for her, but... They don't stand a chance of surviving now,"_ Silver closed his eyes in defeat, ready for whatever she'd do to him.

"No!" someone screamed from behind Violet.

She turned around with one of her daggers and the sound of clashing metal could be heard. Silver opened his eyes and saw Violet at a stalemate with someone he couldn't see, but he knew her voice all too well. Bianca was bearing down on Violet's dagger with the bayonet of her gun. She was holding her own for now, but Violet was pushing her off balance then knocked her back a few feet. Bianca composed herself, but she held her stomach where the bandages from her previous fight.

"Greyhound..." Violet grumbled as she went over to Bianca to fight.

Bianca could barely hold her other arm above her shoulder so she had to rely on the one gun to fight. She took aim and shot at Violet several times. Violet grabbed her second dagger and deflected the bullets that were coming for her. With only one gun, deflecting Bianca's attacks were easy, something Bianca noticed so she quickly changed tactics and pressed the button to launch her bayonet knife. Violet swiftly put one of her daggers into its holster and randomly grabbed one of her many throwing knives, she threw it directly at Bianca's knife. The two knives ricocheted off each other, Violet's passed by her and landed near Silver, Bianca's landed in the ground in Violet's path. She picked it up and threw back at Bianca. Injured, the only thing Bianca could do was duck, but she felt a jolt a pain and her duck turned into a dive as she fell to the ground.

 _"I can't fight like this,"_ Bianca thought as she tried to get up but she saw boots in front of her. Looking up, she saw Violet standing before her with a harsh glare.

If she was fully recovered, Bianca would be able to defeat Violet but this wasn't the case, there are different variables in every fight, making excuses for why someone lost is something amateurs do and Bianca, Violet, and Silver were not amateurs that relied on _'if-only'_ as an excuse.

Violet gripped her dagger in her left hand ready to deliver the finisher. Bianca flinched and shut her eyes, but the final blow never came, instead, she just felt a slight chill in the air. She opened her eyes and saw her would be reaper partially frozen and trying to force her way out of her icy tomb. Behind them was Silver with his arm out. Earlier, Violet used a random Vorpal Sword to counter Bianca's knife and it landed near Silver. He made slow progress to the knife while they fought. He clutched then threw it at Violet before she could claim victory. The Vorpal Sword he threw was filled with ice dust so it froze her when it hit her back, her legs, body and left arm were immobilized leaving only her right arm and head unscathed.

Bianca slowly rose to her feet still panting from soreness and exhaustion. "That was...tougher than I thought..." Violet was staring daggers at her and it unnerved Bianca so she walked over to Silver to help him up but mostly to avoid the death stare.

"Lucky for you that knife was filled ice dust." Silver said trying get up but only succeeded on getting on one knee.

Bianca bent down, put Silver's arm around her shoulders then helped him to his feet. "Luck is a part of every battle," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"If that's the case, then we should also be thankful that it's nightfall, the sun would've melted the ice already. However, in our current conditions, I don't think we could move Violet yet and time is a factor. How are we going to do this before Greyhound gets here?" Silver asked Bianca who looked down in guilt.

"You won't," someone said behind the duo.

Bianca turned Silver and herself around to the person speaking and their eyes widen in shock and fear. The person speaking was a woman, a middle aged woman with mid-length grayish black hair that extended down her shoulders. She wore clothes similar to Bianca; A power suit but with a white shirt, and a form fitting gray skirt that reached right down to her knees with a thin black belt with a small wolf's head as the buckle and black high heels that didn't disturb her posture while standing in sand. Where Bianca had a gray jacket with coattails and a hood, hers was a very simple grey business jacket with silver buttons and the image of a canine's head outlined on the left breast pocket. It wasn't as elaborate as Bianca's jacket which was the standard jacket for Greyhound members, but it did differentiate from others, it screamed power and so did the woman wearing it. The thing that caught Silver's attention was her eyes, they were green, more importantly they reminded him of someone else he knew.

"Madam Slate," Bianca said surprised. Behind the woman was an army of hooded men fashioned with Greyhound hooded jackets.

 _"I couldn't finish the plan before Greyhound got here and now the boss is here, damn. Now what?"_ Silver thought to himself.

Slate walked passed Bianca and Silver, ignoring their presence as she stood in front of Violet who could only stare back at her with such intensity it would frighten lesser souls, unfortunately for her, Slate wasn't one of them. She pulled a gun and had the barrel pressed against Violet's head. Violet didn't waver even as Slate was about to pull the trigger.

"No!"

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Madam Slate is based on Cruella de Vil from The Hundred and One Dalmatians. The members of Greyhound are the dalmatians themselves since there are one hundred and one members including Silver, Bianca, and Madam Slate as the top dog. She is named after a shade of grey.**

 **Bianca's theme song is A Little Faster by There For Tomorrow. She and Silver both share the same band with his theme being Hunt Hunt Hunt.**

 **The best word to describe Violet at her angriest is livid. It's the point where she scares everyone, including her team because it's rare to see her reach that level.**


	11. Treachery Part 1

**Setting: Former VRSZ Base**

"No?" Madam Slate had her finger on the trigger of her gun ready to kill Violet until Silver shouted in protest. She didn't see a reason to keep Violet or even Silver alive and Violet's defiant glare was agitating her even more.

"Please Madam Slate, we all owe her and her comrades." Silver was doing his best to spin his tale to put VRSZ in a positive light, hoping to keep his plan intact. It did stop her from firing, but she held a face of disgust for Silver.

"Fodder," she said addressing Silver. He hated being called that, it made him feel less than human, something Slate truly thought of him.

She glanced at Violet then looked back at him. "What has she and her comrades done to earn my good graces?" She spoke like everything around her was truly beneath her.

"Without them, none of this would've been possible," he said catching Slate's and Violet's attention.

"There were multiple threats here, more than I could handle myself, so I tricked these guys into forming a team to help me remove any competition. Thanks to them, Greyhounds' future is assured, but they were growing stronger and becoming a threat themselves. For a while I didn't know how to deal with them until Bianca came and assisted me. After all we went through, I couldn't bring myself to deal with them the same way I dealt with the rest, so I planned to have them removed."

Slate raised an eyebrow intrigued by Silver's genius and Violet was furious upon hearing this secret, she tried to force her way out of the ice but failed. "Interesting. I'm impressed, but, what do you mean by removing them?" Slate asked inquisitively.

"When Bianca came to Fortuna, she commandeered an airship after landing. We were going to board them and use the autopilot to send them to Haven." Silver answered.

"And if they come back?" Slate didn't like loose ends.

Silver moved out of Bianca's arms to stand on his own. He kept an arm to his painful abdomen but was able to remain on his feet. "They won't. Anima is practically on the other side of Remnant. The ship is only good for one trip, besides, I doubt they'll want to come back." Silver said sure of himself. Slate didn't move, it was like she was having a staring contest with Violet.

"Very well, proceed with your plan. We will begin our conquest of Vacuo's deserts afterwards, starting with this city."

Silver was happy that she actually allowed him to continue his act of mercy. He heard rumors about Madam Slate being cold-blooded monster, but she seemed quite reasonable, maybe because his work was valuable to her but Silver wasn't going to let this chance slip away.

"Thank you, Madam Slate," Silver said more eager than he wished to sound in front of Greyhound's leader.

 **Setting: Bianca's Apartment**

Someone was knocking on the Bianca's bedroom door. Remus was sound asleep on her bed until the knocking woke him up. He yawned with his eyes closed as he opened the door and when he opened them, he saw several members of Greyhound with their assault rifles and blades pointed at him. Being this sleepy, he honestly thought this was a dream so he didn't perceive them as a threat, not until he heard Silver muscle his way through the platoon to get to the doorway.

"HEY DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" Silver ordered angrily.

The hounds complied and did as they were told then left the area. Silver calmed himself and turned to face his dazed friend.

"Silver-" Remus interrupted himself with another yawn. "What's going on? Is this the surprise?" Silver couldn't believe that Remus was still fooled by his words, but his friend put his trust in him, he would believe anything Silver would say.

"Yeah, this is part of it. These guys are helping me with the surprise right now so I need you to come with us." Silver kept his tone neutral. Everything was coming together, Madam Slate and her hounds were moving Violet to the plane, Bianca and several other hounds were recovering Zelts, leaving Silver with Remus. He yawned again before looking out the bedroom window.

"But it's so dark out," Remus said like a tired child.

"Complaining and gripping isn't your style. Come on, I promise you'll like it. Violet and Zelts are there waiting for us," Silver said and the mention of his friends instantly changed his tone.

"Okay," he said with much more pep as he walked out the room, passing two members of Greyhound in the hallway who watched him leave.

"Man, that kid is dumber than you are," One of the members said to another.

"You mean he's dumber than you are," his comrade retorted poorly.

"Wow, great comeback. Seriously that kid is a Grade-A dumbass. Bet he can't even breath without instructions," the hound said and his friend and the others laughed, but it ceased quickly.

Silver, overhearing them insult his young friend, launched himself at the two and punched both of them in their noses. They fell to the floor, clutching their faces and muttered curse words to deal with the pain. "The hell is your problem!?" one of them managed to say as he held his hand over his nose to stop the bleeding.

"Don't ever speak about him like that again," Silver said in a murderous tone and it installed fear into the two men's hearts and the other members who watched.

Silver could admit it to himself, Remus, Zelts, and Violet were truly precious to him. He cared for their well-being and would fight anyone who'd insult them behind their backs. His plan to keep them alive was the last thing he could do as their friend, even if they didn't think of him as a friend anymore.

 **Setting: Desert**

Silver arrived with Remus at the location of Bianca's airship where he met Bianca and Madam Slate who ordered her hounds to get out of the airship so it could take off. The engine was running, and all of its passengers were on board except for one. Violet and Zelts were sitting in the seats bound by Greyhound's high-tech cuffs that chained them to their seats and kept them from trying to escape.

"Go on." Silver said to Remus.

"Aren't you coming?"

"This is my gift to you guys, the surprise is waiting after you land. So get on the ship, they have peanuts," Silver said adding the peanuts as extra incentive. He eagerly got onto the airship, waving to Silver and Bianca before disappearing.

"You think they'll be okay?" Bianca asked Silver. She grew fond of Remus and thought maybe she could've been friends with the others. She didn't know them as well as she did Remus but they could fight, Bianca liked people who could fight.

"Silver," Madam Slate beckoned him over and he walked to her side.

"Yes Madam?"

He was thrown for a loop. He didn't think she'd address him by anything other than fodder, hell, he didn't even think she knew his name.

"You've done a great thing for Greyhound, I want you to know I appreciate that," she said in a flat tone without looking at him, instead, she kept her eyes on the ship that was about to take off.

"...thank you?" Silver didn't know if she was commending him or just stating the facts. This time she turned to Silver to talk to him.

"To be completely honest, I expected absolutely nothing out of you. I never thought this side project would actually be vital to our survival. If anything, I sent away a nameless fodder to his death or his way out of Greyhound and I didn't care." Her truthfully words didn't faze Silver in the slightest. He knew the leader of Greyhound cared more for herself than the others, that's how most people are.

"I wouldn't let Greyhound down," he said just to please her, Silver knew she wanted to hear that.

"Good, if you tried to escape that would make you the second man to flee to this city." Silver knew who she was talking about, Ghost's father, Stark, but he feigned ignorance.

"Second?"

"Yes, a man betrayed our organization and tried to run but he was found and eliminated."

"As per protocol."

"I hated that man and loved him." She stated a little resentful. She was blowing off steam and Silver was the unfortunate ear to listen, he felt uncomfortable, but thought it was best to let her vent than speak out.

"A few years ago we were in an intimate relationship for several months."

 _"I sooooo don't want to her this,"_ Silver thought grossed out with a sicken face. Lucky for him Slate wasn't looking at him at all so he could look as disgusted as he wanted.

"Our love was hot and physical, and our passion could not be matched. Not once has anyone ever made my toes curl like him." Silver wanted to hurl real bad.

"And our love created life," she said oblivious to Silver's expressions. His disgust stopped when she said a certain word.

"L-life?" Silver stuttered a little, afraid to put two and two together.

"Hmm yes, I gave birth to a boy created by our carnal desires, unfortunately, he was taken from me by that man, Stark, and most likely died with his father."

This news hit Silver hard. Right now, Silver was speaking to...Ghost's mother...and he just heard the story of his parents 'creating' him. _"Oh dear god,"_

Silver wanted to die right now. There were some things he never wanted to know, but for the sake of keeping appearances, he held back the revolting nausea he felt. "I'm sorry..for your loss," he said almost breaking character.

"Don't be, I'm glad he's dead. Turns out he wasn't truthful with me." Madam Slate said making Silver curious, scared but curious.

"He had relations with another member of Greyhound before we got together. It was a few years ago, but I couldn't forgive him, I felt betrayed, especially when he continued to see her and their bastard child." she said vindictively.

 _"Isn't Ghost technically a bastard too?"_ he asked himself, but put the thought away.

"After it was confirmed that Stark was dead, his concubine came to me in protest. Her presence irritated so much that I had her killed on the spot."

Silver was truly horrified with what he was hearing. Madam Slate terrified him so much more than Violet on her worst day. She was pure evil, killing and pillaging with zero hesitation, no flinching or sign of remorse, a true monster. What supported that was the fact she was starting to laugh at her own story.

"Do you know what the best part of killing those two? Their child works directly under me, as a loyal elite worshiping the ground I walk on." She said and Silver felt rotten to the core just hearing this.

"Who-" Silver was about to ask but Madam Slate answered by looking at the child. Silver followed her line of sight and his eyes widened at the answer to his question. "Bianca?"

"That's right, do me a favor and keep this to yourself."

She returned her gaze to the airship as it was hovering over the ground. Silver was pissed. He never felt so angry about anything before, but Madam Slate brought it all out in one conversation. She was the source of all of Ghost's and Bianca's sorrow, pain, and their parents' murderer. There was a fire burning inside him, but he had to keep it cool, for now at least.

The airship was in the air. It was flying further and further away along with his friends. He felt terrible, but knew this was for the best even if it meant he'll never see them again. "Despite that girl's lineage I still consider her family," Madam Slate spoke still going on about her grand accomplishments. Silver really wished she'd shut up.

"And I look after my family, even lowly fodder like you Silver." Silver thought she really needed to keep shut up now.

"Your new friends, on the other hand, could be a future threat to Greyhound and its members."

"Madam Slate what are y-" Silver wasn't liking where this was going and it was worse when he saw her dig through her pocket and pull out some kind of device with a red button. If every action movie in existence taught Silver anything, it's that red buttons are never good.

"I can't have anything threaten my family," she said darkly then pressed the button.

The airship exploded, becoming a fireball in the sky before being reduced to smoke and falling debris. Silver screamed, he couldn't think of any words that could express the turmoil he felt. He ran to where the wreckage was landing seeing no sign of survivors. Silver stopped in his tracks when he saw Zelts's shield fall to the ground in front of him, the charred weapon remained intact, the Wings of Icarus has endured worse than this but not the owner.

"Th-they're dead...they...they can't be dead." Silver's mind was scattered, he fell to his hands and knees with tears of sorrow and frustration flowing down his face. He felt a hand on his shoulder, but he already knew who it was so he didn't change his crouching position.

"Silver I-" Bianca did not know what to say to ease his heart.

"I tried... I tried so hard to protect them. I couldn't let them pay for my mistakes." Silver was reduced to a crying mess, his sobbing was muffled in the sand as Bianca kept her hand on his back.

"Alright that's enough of that, let's go," Madam Slate said giving them no time to remorse.

"Why?" Bianca asked in Silver's place.

"I can't have loose ends, if there was even the slightest chance that they'd return, then that would be problematic. I had the bombs placed in the airship right before you two got here. Enough of this useless dribble, they're dead and it's done. Come Silver, I need you to tell us the best locations for invading this...Fortuna was it? I don't have all day," Madam Slate demanded with absolutely zero empathy.

Silver slowly got to his feet with his back to the both of them. "Yes, Madam Slate," he said void of emotions.

He walked in front of them to guide Greyhound back into Fortuna. His face was dark, it was hard to tell what he was feeling. "There are underground passageways used by the ruling Vantablack family. We can use them to travel around undetected."

"Marvelous." Slate was delighted.

"We can get in by going through the outskirts where the ruined buildings are, no one will notice a large group entering from there."

In the span of a whole day, Team VRSZ has been eliminated. The night was ending as Silver walked like a wayward spirit with his fellow hounds. His heart was fractured with the deaths of his friends, but he was determined to finish the plan, the real plan he hid from everyone, Madam Slate, Greyhound, VRSZ, even Bianca. Just like the former member Stark, Silver was ready for atonement.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Bianca and Ghost are indeed half-siblings with Bianca being older than him by two years. Ghost got his green eyes from Slate while Bianca's reddish brown eyes are from their father.**

 **Stark's name is a shade of white. His family's color theme is white, including Bianca and Ghost.**

 **Madam Slate's theme is Pistols at Dawn by Seinabo Sey. The song is the perfect portrayal of the type of person she is, her actions, and beliefs, mainly that she looks after only herself even if she tells you how important you are to her.**

 **The Wings of Icarus is about the same length as Zelts's height which is 6'1 and weighs a lot making it difficult for other people besides Zelts to use it effectively.**

 **That little dialogue from the two fodder members was a reference to the first season of Red vs Blue when Church and Tucker were talking about Caboose.**

 **Team VRSZ's Favorite Ice Cream Flavors;**

 **Violet: Vanilla**

 **Remus: Cookies and Cream**

 **Silver: Mint Chocolate Chip**

 **Zelts: Blue Moon**


	12. Treachery Part 2

**Setting: Desert**

The members of Greyhound marched their way to Fortuna. Madam Slate accompanied by four other elite vanguard of Greyhound, the regular fodder members walked in masses, and Silver was behind them all barely keeping up with anyone, except Bianca who is still by his side. "Silver, I'm sorry about your friends." The mention of them couldn't lower his head any further even if he wanted it to.

"I know the madam went against your wishes, but she thought it was best for us. In the end, she's thinking of what is best for Greyhound, for us, for you. I hope you can understand that in the future." she said trying to relieve him, but it just angered him.

Slate had everyone fooled, tricking them to fight for her expecting her to do the same, but Silver now realizes that Greyhound is broken and no one could fix it, not even him but he could make sure it doesn't spread any further. That what his next move was, to destroy Greyhound in one fell swoop. But now, he wanted to tell Bianca the truth, she deserves to know. "Bianca-"

"Silver, Madam Slate wishes to speak to you," a member of the elite guard said to him, interrupting him before he could get her attention. He walked with the guard to Madam then he and the other guards gave Silver and Slate their space to talk with no worry of eavesdropping.

"We're almost to the city, I need you to escort us from here on. Show us where these underground passageways are located."

Silver silently complied with her command as he guided them all to the ruined part of Fortuna, the area Clair du Lune wanted to renovate and improve. "This Vantablack family, will they be a threat as well?" she asked.

"No, Lady Vantablack has left for important matters. She left the safety of the city in the hands of my team. By the time she returns it'll be too late."

"Hehehe, unfortunately for her she had no idea about your true intentions. People always go with the winning team," she boasted and he squinted his eyes in disgust with his leader. He let it go with one breath and continued his march to Fortuna.

 **Setting: Outskirts of Fortuna**

They made it to the ruined section of Fortuna. Like always, no one was around, more so than usual since Clair ordered everyone to stay out of this area for upcoming renovations. Silver led Greyhound to a large building that towered over the others in its radius. Its windows were beautiful stained glass hinting that this building could've been a cathedral. He stopped at one of the entrances and faced Madam Slate and his fellow members.

"I was aware of the underground passageways, but didn't know the exact location of the entry way. Lucky for me, I had a friend who was well versed in their locations and after some coercing he told the locations of a few, like this one," Silver explained as he opened the door. "Inside is a massive main floor and a second floor, but they're both empty, when you walk in, make a right straight to the wall. There should be a hidden door on that wall, feel for a door, it's hidden well but it's there, find it. I'll guide you to the key points of Fortuna."

Madam Slate and her fellow members entered the building, every member went inside except for Bianca who was coming from the rear. She was about to enter until Silver placed his arm between her and the door. "What's wrong?"

"Don't go in there. Go back to your apartment and stay there for tonight," he said in a tone that had a underlying plead.

Bianca caught it and began to look worried for him. "Silver, if you're worried about me getting hurt you shouldn't,, I'm stronger than you after all." she said in a playful tone to lighten the mood.

"Besides, the medical team did their best to patch me up on the way here, I'm not in top form but I'm feeling close to it."

"No!" He was like a stubborn child.

"I can't let you be involved in my plan." He slipped up when he said plan, but he needed her to stay out of this.

"You're not good at hiding things from me Silver, what are you plotting?" The playful teasing she had before was gone. Silver couldn't do anything but pull the only card he could draw, the truth.

"Greyhound ends today."

"What are saying?" she asked more firmly not liking what he just said.

"I'm done taking orders from a leader who doesn't care if I live or die, especially one who goes against her promise to keep my friends out of harm's way!" he shouted out of anger. Slate's betrayal lit a fire in his heart that helped him continue with this course of action.

"Silver." She placed a hand on his cheek. "I know you're angry, but her decision was best for every-"

"No it's not! She only does what's best for her! Everyone else is just FODDER, me and you!" He no longer cared if anyone from the other side of the door could hear him, his emotions were controlling him.

"Silver enough!" she shouted with commanding force and it was enough to calm him a little bit.

"You made friends while on your mission, I get that, but remember, Greyhound is your family just like it is mine. I'll do anything for my family cause they've been there for me all the time, and they're only family I have left." she said that last part a little sad and Silver knew why.

Her real family was killed by the same people who she thinks is her family. In order for Bianca to doubt Greyhound, Silver could tell her the truth about her parents' death, but he didn't. As an act of kindness, he refused to let his friend suffer the painful truth. Bianca had no real connection with Stark, but her mother was a different story. The bond she had with her mother was one of, if not, the most meaningful bond she had. Learning of the brutal way she was killed would destroy her just like how VRSZ's death shook him to his core. He wanted to spare her that pain until there was a better time to tell her, unfortunately, if his plan is successful, another time will never come.

"Bianca...please." Silver practically begged her.

She saw the raw emotion on his face and wanted to give him whatever he wanted, but not this. Silver outright told her he was going to end Greyhound, the only semblance of family she had left. Her duty, but more importantly her heart couldn't that happen. She would eliminate any threat to Greyhound with no mercy and she didn't want to ever raise a hand against her junior but their conflicting interests were causing them to face one another. Internally, Bianca made her choice.

"Silvester, please don't say anything more. Don't say anything else you can't take back," she said trying to hold back some unknown emotion.

Silver couldn't stop, he was letting it all out to one of the few people left he can trust. "It's too late for that Bianca, like I said, Greyhound ends today. Bianca... you're important to me, so I don't want you to be a casualty, please go home. Do this as my last request," Silver said and it made her wonder what exactly he was planning to do, but she knew what she had to do.

"I hoped it'd never come to this, but Madam Slate was right," Bianca said before pivoting her foot then kicked him into the building while knocking the door down with him for all of Greyhound to see. This was the second time within twenty-four hours that Silver's been kicked through a door by a girl and he really thought it was really getting old. With all eyes on him, he flipped off his back and moved himself to the opposite side of the room, drawing Ceasefire from its holsters.

"Fodder, why do you bear arms against us?" Madam Slate asked with no emotions.

She clearly understood what was happening and so did her hounds as they brought their weapons, but she wanted to hear him say it. The fodder members had assault rifles while the elite members, like Bianca, sported their own weapons. Bianca herself walked through the entryway with a sad expression on her face. She looked at Silver, locking eyes like they were having a silent conversation. It only lasted a few seconds before she broke eye contact, looking even more heartbroken as she changed her view to Madam Slate.

"It is as you predicted Madam, Silver has betrayed us," she said with pain in her voice.

"Hmm, I thought it could happen, but I hoped he'd realize Greyhound was his only option, after seeing how I dealt with his friends not too long ago." Her words fueled Silver's anger more.

 _"That's why you did it? So I'd know my place?"_ he thought vehemently.

"No matter, what could simple fodder do to damage Greyhound?" she asked looking at him mockingly with an insulting grin. It made him scowl at first but he grinned in return.

"A whole lot!" Silver shouted as he pulled a remote detonator from his pocket. Slate didn't seem scared, but she squinted her eyes in concern.

"My original plan was to have every one travel through the passageways, ones that I rigged with explosives. With the press of a button, Greyhound would be buried beneath Fortuna forever. Unfortunately, this isn't the case, but I made a backup plan, this building is also rigged to blow, killing us all," Silver said content that this is how it ends for him.

The members of Greyhound aimed their weapons at him, but were too late to stop him from pressing the button. A few seconds passed with everyone standing still waiting to hear explosions and to see rubble fall around them, but nothing happened. All eyes were on Silver who kept pressing the button then glanced over to the one hundred people with their guns pointed at him.

"Ummm...this is awkward." That was all he said with a smile as the fodder members opened fired on him.

Silver used Gravity and jumped out of the way onto the second floor balcony to take cover. There was no way he could fight them all on his own, that's what the suicide plan was for. He looked to the device in his hand as bullets were shot in his area.

 _"What the hell is going on?"_ he thought before he saw one of the elite members in the corner of his eye.

The man's face was covered by the Greyhound hood and he was equipped with flail that had a spike ball at the end. He swung his weapon at Silver who ducked, but the detonator was hit and broke in half. Silver kept low to the ground so he wouldn't get hit by any random shots but before he could engage, the man jumped from the second floor leaving him the only one up there. On the main floor, Slate ordered another elite member to fire his weapon, a laser cannon.

"Do it," she ordered.

"Firing main cannon," the elite member said and fired.

The green laser fired a fast beam in Silver's directions. It almost hit him and it did destroy the second floor balcony he was using as a foothold. It collapsed and so did he, but his semblance prevented him from tumbling as he descended safely onto the floor then ran behind a column as the fodder hounds open fired again keeping him pinned. Silver couldn't do anything and he was frustrated by it. His plans were ruined, Bianca siding against him, Fortuna would fall, and that wasn't even the worst part of it all.

 _"Violet, Remus, Zelts... I'm sorry. I never wanted you guys involved but...I'll explain it all when I meet you all on the other side,"_ Silver thought admitting defeat.

Nothing was going his way and he was ready to raise the white flag. "I surrender! I surrender!" he shouted hoping his voice could be heard and it seemed like it did because they stopped firing.

He took this moment to move out of his cover and step out into the open to face his death. Slate had no emotion on her face then looked to Bianca who understood what she wanted from her. She stood with the fodder members, drew her guns and aimed them at Silver who closed his eyes. _"This is how I'm going down, in a hail of gunfire. I guess it's fitting,"_ he thought before they open fired.

Before Greyhound fired, something pierced the ceiling and fell between Silver and bullets. He didn't feel or see anything, but heard the sound of bullets ricocheting off metal. He opened his eyes to see a familiar object protecting him, the Wings of Icarus. He made the connection in his head and was starting to feel overjoyed. From the hole the shield made in the ceiling, a person fell through as well, landing in front of Silver.

"Zelts! Zelts! You're alive! I can't beli-" his joyous occasion was cut short when he got a good look at who it was, not Zelts but someone unexpected.

"I knew this would all go to hell," Ghost said as he activated his semblance to protect himself.

"Ghost? What are you...how- why do you have Zelts's shield?" he said confused. A million questions were running through his head.

"Something I picked up," Ghost said a little grim and Silver felt depressed all over again.

"Oh." His hopes that his friends miraculously survived now gone.

Bianca was moving around the shield but Ghost had his own weapon, Purgatory, equipped to his arm. He pressed it against the shield and activated the ice dust in one of the gauntlet's valves. Ice spanned from the shield creating a very thick wall of ice that divided the room, keeping Bianca and Greyhound at bay while nearly depleting Ghost's ice dust. After creating the wall, Silver fell on his butt to catch his breath and Ghost deactivated his semblance, Spectre, to make himself whole now that he found an alternative to protect them then turned his head to look at Silver who appeared defeated. The sound of gunfire could be heard on the other side but they weren't going to breach it anytime soon.

"I don't get it. Why didn't the explosives go off?" He said aloud to himself.

"Not surprised, seeing as I didn't set the charges," Ghost said impassively and Silver jerked his head up at his friend.

"What!?" he shouted. "Why didn't you set them!? That was the plan!"

"That was your plan not mine! I was not going to let you blow up Lady Clair's city!"

"I wasn't going to blow up Fortuna! The passageways are surrounded by sand, it would've cushioned the impact."

"Do you know that? Are you sure Fortuna would be unscathed?"

"...maybe," Silver responded unsure.

"Thought so, unlike you, I wasn't going to take that risk. I already told you before I was against this from the start."

"Yeah, the black eye you gave me for telling you I was in Greyhound was a real eye opener," Silver said putting his hand to the eye where the injury was previously located.

"Pun intended?" Ghost asked not caring.

"No, but that punch was intended I know that," Silver said a little more calm now. Ghost calmed down as well before speaking again.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't have done this if I didn't think we could take'em," Ghost said then looked at the frozen wall still hearing gunfire.

"I wonder how it's going on the other side?" Ghost said as he activating Spectre to phase through the ice.

He poked his head out and immediately, bullets hit where his head emerged. He looked and saw them all firing, including the one member with a laser cannon that was doing a lot of damage. He saw who fired on him, Bianca, then phased his head back.

"They'll get through soon, get ready, and that white haired girl is probably the most troublesome one."

"Hehehe you'd be surprised, you two might have more in common than you know."

"And what does that mean?" Ghost asked curious about what they could possibly have in common.

"I'll tell you once this is over" Silver gripped Ceasefire, "It's a very long story."

Ghost placed his hand on Silver and he became ghostly like Ghost. "Just phase through the wall and shoot like you normally do you'll be fine as long as we're in physical contact." Ghost told him.

"But if I shoot, wouldn't my bullets phase through them?"

"By the time they leave your guns they'll be solid."

Silver did as he was told. With Ghost keeping his hand on Silver's back he was able to phase through the wall. The rapid successions of bullets were unsuccessful at hitting Silver who recoiled at first, but started firing. He hit several fodder hounds and disarmed a few more. Very gradually, the number of fodder members were beginning to drop.

"You have the best semblance ever," Silver complimented, a little happy with how well the fight was going so far. Ghost didn't reply, but he grinned a little.

"Firing main cannon."

Silver heard and he saw the same green laser from earlier phase through him and hit the wall. It didn't penetrate it, but two more shots would do it and Ghost could only use Spectre for so long before he wore himself out. He retreated back into the wall seeing no way out of this once again. Ghost grabbed the Wings of Icarus and yanked it from the ice wall with all his might.

"How Zelts carries this thing around I'll never know," he said as the wall was being breached. Laser cannons and volleys of bullets were getting through from every side.

"We can always run away," Ghost suggested to Silver.

"And leave all of Fortuna to deal with my mess, I don't think so. Besides, I'm the type who likes to go down guns blazing."

"Any regrets?" he asked Silver.

"A helluva lot, but... failing to keep my friends safe is the biggest one," Silver answered sorrowfully.

Greyhound broke through the wall. Most of its members marching forward while Slate stays out of fighting distance with Bianca by her side to protect her. "Hey Ghost, before we go, there's something I got to tell you."

"Something important enough I got to know before we die? What is it?"

"You see that girl with the white hair and that woman she's with." The hounds aimed their weapons. "Yeah, what about them?"

"They're your half-sister and mother," Silver said as they open fired, but a dome force field appeared out of nowhere and protected them, deflecting bullets and lasers.

"WHAT!" Ghost shouted.

Bolts of energy were heard being fired and hit more fodder members as the elite hounds and Slate used them as human shields, but they were all sent flying when a massive wave of earth came at them, tearing up the wooden floor, and knocked them away. Bianca and Slate moved out the way as the attack made a large hole in the side of the cathedral with the other hounds outside. As they laid in the dirt and sand, several of them noticed something in the earth, small bombs that were about to go off. Explosion after explosion went off outside, normal fiery explosions and some that froze many of the fodder hounds. Suddenly, Bianca and Slate were tangled by metal cables and tossed outside, but Bianca had one free hand and used the bayonet to cut the cables, freeing herself before doing the same for Slate as they fell to the ground with their fellow hounds.

The force field vanished and Silver looked around surprised he cheated death again. Coming to his aid were Cerise Sanguine, Loden Take, Sapphire Velum, and Hazel Vespid, the members of Team CLSH.

"Ho-Wh-...what?" Silver baffled, confused about everything.

"Ghost called us saying you needed help with a mission so we came to join you," Cerise answered.

They obviously didn't know about his connection to Greyhound or the situation itself. Silver looked at Ghost who shifted his eyes to the side meaning his guess is correct. "I told you I had a backup plan," Ghost said like a know it all.

They weren't the team he wanted to save him but beggars can't be choosers. Silver got his spirit up again hoping to leave a real dent in Greyhound now that he had more muscle with him.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **The truth about Stark's and Slate's relationship might be a little different from what she told Silver. Stark was a new elite that Slate became attracted to but the feeling wasn't mutual. She used her position as leader to force a relationship against his will. After some time, he decided to get away from her by leaving Greyhound altogether with his son so he wouldn't be affected by her madness. Killing Bianca's mom out frustration and jealousy was the only thing she told Silver that was true but she did it more to gloat than to clear her conscience.**


	13. Treachery Part 3

**Setting: Cathedral**

Loden jumped into the air then landed on the ground with World Splitter piercing it into the ground. The weapon created a shockwave that caused the earth surrounding her to erupt and topple many fodder hounds. Behind her was a muscular elite member of Greyhound, this one sported massive brass knuckles that looked like they could punch a hole in anything. The man in the hood dashed to Loden in her blindspot and aimed for the back of her head, but the weapon was met by her polearm as she defended herself without looking in the direction of the attack.

"What the!?" The man was confused at first then continued his onslaught with a barrage of punches, but was met with failure each time.

 _"Dammit! How can she-"_

"Quit blocking you gnat!" He was furious that this young girl could anticipate his every move, it was like she had eyes in the back of her head. Thanks to Panorama, it was exactly like that, there was nothing he could do would get past her semblance.

Seeing as how this man was letting his emotions take full control, Loden sighed.

"I'm bored with you," she said disappointed in this fight.

"Huh?"

Loden turned her back to him, "Sapphire!"

Suddenly, metal cables suddenly wrapped around the man's torso and he was flung across the battle field. While he was still airborne, the man was hit by several laser blasts from Hazel's wasp drones. She ordered them to surround and protect her from any incoming threats because she wasn't fond of close-quarter fights, even being in the middle of a battlefield made her anxious, but with her friends, along with Silver and Ghost with her, she felt safe and more determined to help them. She stayed inside the cathedral and sent her drones to attack as many hounds as possible and with the enemy too preoccupied with the force on the ground, they weren't focusing on her Hive drones but she did have to be mindful of stray bullets.

With the fodder members, equipped with assault rifles and firing on them, Loden had to create multiple walls of earth to provide themselves more cover. Silver and Cerise used these well to their advantage, they ran around the battlefield along these shields to protect themselves and to confuse the enemy about their location. She threw her Runaways, making great explosions and freezing enemies while Silver shot as many hounds before ducking out and running to a new location. When the two converge to one another they work together with Cerise throwing an ice dust cherry bomb above the enemy and Silver detonating it by shooting it and causing icicle spears to fall from the sky or doing the same thing, but with a flash bomb to blind the hounds.

While Silver continued to fight, he looked out for Madam Slate's whereabouts. This large battle will end in three ways, if they defeat every member of Greyhound which was not likely, even if they were doing well so far. The second way was if they captured Slate and forced her to surrender, and the third option was if they all died, something he didn't want to see come to fruition. Silver fired upon more hounds and before he ducked to avoid their retaliation, in the corner of his eye, he saw Slate. She was retreating with Bianca and another elite protecting her backside. He wanted to go after them, but the other members of Greyhound were pressuring them with sheer numbers.

Sapphire was having a blast in the ensuing chaos as she whip-lashed everyone in her area knocking them away from her. The cables from one of her hands were snagged by a flail with a spiked ball at the end. The man smirked, but she smirked right back as she activated the lightning dust in her gauntlets as it ran through the cables then the flail and electrocuted the man, but he kept on his feet. Behind her was the other elite with the laser cannon ready to fire. He aimed for her backside

"Firing mai-" he was interrupted by Ghost phasing through the ground below him.

Ghost used his Purgatory's claw to deal a surprise uppercut then pressed his palm on the hound's stomach and unleashed a burst of fire dust which blasted him away. Then he aimed his gauntlet at the other member holding down Sapphire and let loose a bolt of lightning dust that both shocked and pushed him back. "Hmph, some elites."

Sapphire looked at her savior who instantly berated her. "Next time, think before you act, going around half-cocked without a battle plan will get you killed." After his lecture, Ghost moved to another group of fodder that he engaged in battle all while she watched.

 _"That was kinda hot,"_ Sapphire thought impressed with Ghost's abilities then moved to fight with him.

As the battle continued, Silver and his group were starting to feel the strain of facing so many opponents. Loden kept creating barriers, but they were decimated by lasers, forcing her to fall back, Hazel's drones were being shot out of the sky one by one until she had none left, so she stayed in the cathedral. Cerise didn't have enough Runaways or firepower to keep up her attacks, same with Sapphire who's arms were hurting from swinging her arms and Ghost stayed with the girls to back them up. Silver conceded and fell back as well.

 _"We took out around forty of them, but we can't do another round. Okay now this is really it, a man could only dodge death so many times,"_ he thought as he regrouped with everyone else at the hole in the cathedral with the remaining hounds bearing down on them.

The elite member with the laser cannon commanded the others to cease and steer clear so could set his weapon to maximum power. He aimed it at the group and Cerise activated her Shields to create a two layer force field dome but it didn't look like it would hold up since she was reaching her limit. "Firing main cannon."

Expecting to be hit, everyone closed their eyes. They did hear the laser land, but not on them. In front of them were the Wings of Icarus, but it was facing them instead of the laser as it blasted the other side. _"Did Ghost do some last minute save again?"_ Silver thought, but the surprised look on his friend's face said otherwise.

After the laser dispersed, the shield was lifted, revealing their savior to be the weapon's rightful owner, Zelts Allister with his eyes glowing gold from his Conversion. He split the shield into wingblades unleashed a powerful gale that hit all sixty of the remaining Greyhound members then looked back at the ragtag group.

"Hey," he said in a low tone, he always carries a serious air when he was charged with his semblance.

Silver fell to his knees staring at his friend alive and well. "You're alive," he said with his voice breaking slightly.

Zelts confirmed this with a nod making Silver happier but it faded when he asked "The others. Are the others-" his question was answered when Remus teleported in front of him.

"Hey Silver," he said cheery like today was any other day.

In the cathedral they could hear footsteps. Everyone turned to see Violet with a serious look on her face as she walked until she was a few feet away from Silver. She didn't do anything but stare at him in silence and no one dared to say anything either.

"Silver." She was a little cold, but he didn't mind, he was too overwhelmed to know that his friends or former friends were alive.

"I- I saw you all board the airship, how did you make it out of there?" He desperately wanted to know.

"I told you I was against our plan from the start," Ghost said drawing Silver's attention. "The day you told me you met with a member of Greyhound and was a part of Greyhound, I punched you in the eye. We talked about it and I got over it, but I was not happy with your little suicide plan because I doubted Greyhound would let you do as you pleased and I was right. I told you about the layout of the underground passageways and you told me to place explosives all around them, but I wasn't going to do that. Instead, I kept my eyes on you until you made contact with the leader. I stayed out of sight and spied on them while you were away and like I thought, they placed their own explosives onto the airship before you came back.

* * *

 **A Few Hours Ago**

 **Setting: Desert**

While Silver was talking to Slate, Ghost used Spectre to phase through the sand undetected then through the ship. There was no pilot so it was on autopilot with a fixed destination meaning no crew members to deal with. He made it to the passenger area where Violet, Remus, and Zelts were being held hostage with the high-tech handcuffs keeping them in place. His presence surprised everyone.

"Ghost? What are you doing here? Don't tell me you're in on this too, you hate Greyhound more than anyone!" Violet was confused as he used Purgatory's lightning dust to short circuit the handcuffs.

"I'm here to free you guys, covertly," he said making sure his voice was low so no one could hear, but with the roaring of the engine, he could speak in a normal tone without fear of exposure.

"I'm gonna kill Silver," she said in anger while he freed Zelts.

"Don't, it's not his fault, if anything he wanted to keep you guys safe and away from his past sins. Which is why he planned to send you guys to Anima to start a new life without him. Not the best plan, but that's what he came up with," Ghost said on his friend's behalf.

"If that was his plan, then why are you against it?" Zelts asked still perplexed by the situation.

"He was so focused on protecting you guys he never expected Greyhound to pull a fast one and kill you guys anyway, luckily for you and him, I didn't trust them and I was right not to, they rigged this thing to blow so were leaving," Ghost answered freeing Remus.

"So this isn't the surprise?" Remus asked still believing in Silver's lie. Ghost didn't want or have time to explain this to him as he set his priorities on escaping.

"Grab on."

Zelts and Violet put a hand on both his shoulders and Remus placed his hand on Zelts. Ghost activated Spectre and all four of them became Ghostly as they phased through the airship and through the sand until they were a good distance away from being detected. He ended his semblance while Violet used hers to make them all invisible as they laid in the sand watching the events transpire.

She was still angry with Silver and was determined to get back at him regardless of his desire to protect them. He was the double agent that blew up their home and hurt her friends. Okay, she can admit she was the one who destroyed the base, but she was still furious. As the airship exploded, Violet observed Silver's behavior and was astonished by his emotions and actions, everyone was. This was the first time any of them saw him cry and it was strange for them. Remus felt bad for his friend, he thought this was an awful surprise, Zelts was angry, but not as angry as Violet, but it disappeared when he saw how distraught Silver was, and Violet's anger lessened greatly, but she still wanted him to pay in some fashion. As Greyhound marched to the outskirts, VRSZ and Ghost beat them there using Remus's Checkpoint, but the multiple uses to reach Fortuna left him drained so they walked the rest of the way to their next destination, Ceres.

"I think it's best if we don't tell them the whole story, they're more likely to give it their all if they think they're helping a friend," Ghost told Violet before she knocked on the door. She looked to Zelts for his opinion and he nodded in agreement. She knew it was late at night, but Team CLSH was more than eager to join VRSZ in battle.

 **Setting: Cathedral**

On the roof of the cathedral, everyone watched the unraveling of Silver's plan.

"You didn't set the charges did you?" Violet asked Ghost.

"Nope," he answered as they watched Silver jump to the second floor balcony.

"Uh, shouldn't we help him now?" Cerise asked as she and the other girls were getting worried for Silver's safety.

Violet was still a little upset and thought leaving him to suffer at the last minute was fitting. "Not yet," she said calmly.

When Silver was being pressured behind a column, Violet decided to make a move. "Ghost, you go. Don't let him know we're here."

He put his hand on Zelts's shoulder to get his attention. "Can I get some help on with this?" h asked referring to the shield.

"Sure," Zelts answered as he stood over the roof. He aimed his shield at just the right angle and threw it hard enough to break through the roof and Ghost followed.

With the duo holding their own, Violet decided it was CLSH's turn to join the fray. "Remus, use your semblance to take CLSH to the cathedral's front door, it's their turn."

"Really? We can finally help?" Hazel asked relived.

"Yes, but this is also a chance to show VRSZ how well you function in real combat," Violet said and the juniors were more than happy to prove their worth. Remus teleported the girls down to ground level so they could help Silver and Ghost.

Violet and Zelts were alone on the roof so he finally asked. "What are you going to do with him afterwards?" he asked curiously. In the beginning of VRSZ time together, Violet asked Zelts if it was worth keeping Silver on the team and he said to do what she feels is right and they would follow her. She chose to keep him and it brought Greyhound, something that comes with the cost of her choices and now Zelts wanted to know what her choice is about Silver's future standing.

"I've already decided, I'll let him know what it is when I have the chance." she said and it was hard for him to get a read on what she meant by that. Remus returned and they continued to watch the fight from above.

"CLSH is very good, they're utilizing what we taught them well," Zelts complimented and Violet nodded in agreement, however, they both knew CLSH would need help soon because they are too young and inexperienced to win this fight.

"I'm so bored. Where is the surprise in watching," Remus whined and Violet grinned at her young friend's plight.

"Okay Remus, it's our turn," she said and it got him out of his funk in an instant.

"Really?"

"Let's go," she said as he teleported them into the cathedral so Zelts could grab his shield, then teleported him in front of the green laser leaving Violet in the building to walk to the battle.

* * *

 **Present Time**

Silver was dumbfounded at the events that his friends described. _"So all this time, Ghost was pretending they were still dead, just for fun,"_ he thought then brought his attention to Violet watching her draw a Vorpal Sword from her bag.

Everyone expected her to hurt him, but she threw it past him and it landed on a stray hound that was coming for them, it hit and electrocuted the hound till he was incapacitated. "What are you waiting for?" she said to Silver who looked at her baffled, actually everyone had the same expression he had.

"Uh?" Silver didn't know what to say.

"Get up and fight already. I really want this day to end."

 _"She's helping me?"_ he thought like it was the weirdest thing in the world.

He looked around as everyone was preparing to fight at his side. _"They're all..helping me."_ Silver never felt so confused and happy at the same time.

"I just have one question Silver," Violet said and he was a little worried what it could be. "Whose side are you on?"

Usually Silver's answer would've been 'the winning team,' but he didn't need to say that ever again, he had a new answer.

"My family," he answered completely sure of himself. Violet seemed satisfied with that answer based on her small grin before facing the enemy with a fierce look.

 _"The battle truly begins no-"_

"Silver," Remus whispered interrupting his inner monologue.

"Yeah?"

"I've been waiting a long time to say this." Remus said and Silver thought he was going get berated by Remus of all people so he braced for it. "Is this the surprise? I'm a little tired of waiting?"

Silver was amazed he still believed this was all a surprise and that he didn't believe Silver betray him. Impressed with his friend's belief in him, he satisfied his curiosity. "Yes, this is the surprise. Bianca brought her friends so we can have a...battle party, our team against hers," Silver lied to his friend, probably for the last time.

"You game?" he said enticing his friend who smiled a little too enthusiastically then dashed into the fray.

 _"VRSZ is back,"_ he thought with a smile of his own.

 **Next: Chapter14: VRSZ Greyhound, Pistols At Dawn**

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Silver's theme was Hunt Hunt Hunt by There for Tomorrow. He was hunting and eliminating threats to Greyhound while lying to everyone about his true intentions until he was found out. But now that he has left them for VRSZ he obtains a new theme.**

 **Silver's new theme is Bet on it by Zac Effron. The lyrics in this song go perfectly with how Silver views himself and how he wants to redeem himself for his friends/teammates. Greyhound controlled every part of his life but now he doing things for himself. The lyrics are also like his inner monologue of trying to improve himself as a person.**

 **As the characters develop they will get a new theme to represent their growth.**

 **Remus isn't dumb enough to think that Silver didn't betray the team, actually he figured out he was a part of Greyhound when Clair mentioned Ghost's father was part of it and when Silver spoke with Ghost in private afterwards, he put two and two together but never told anyone. He thought Silver would choose VRSZ in the end and he was right despite everything that happened in between. He isn't bright in situational experiences but he gets it on rare occasions. His intellect is more in academics mostly math and science.**

 **Clair de Lune name is the name of a color and lit's also French for moonlight with the moon as her motif. Her theme is Moon River sung by Pixie Lott. Though the song is supposed to be a romantic, but for her it's more about her growing friendship with Violet and how she wants to continue being friends in the years to come. It is her favorite song and sings it on a daily basis.**

 **Ghost has a pale complexion which is one of the biggest mysteries in Fortuna especially because he lives in the desert 24/7. Even Ghost doesn't have an answer for this and he doesn't pursue one because it doesn't really bother him. Despite being half-siblings, Bianca's complexion is much more fair than his.**

 **Because of Gravity, Silver's weight is an unknown as his semblance alters his mass.**


	14. VRSZ Greyhound, Pistols At Dawn

**Setting: Outskirts of Fortuna**

"Firing main cannon." The elite fired his green laser just Remus did the same with his fully charged railgun. As soon as the lasers clashed, Remus's laser easily eclipsed the elite's then directly to the hound. The elite was too slow to evade it, the only thing he could do was look horrified at his own defeat. When the laser hit, it carried the man across the battlefield, knocking down greyhound bystanders, until it and the hound crashed into an empty building, the impact caused the structure to collapse.

"Remus, use your semblance to support everyone," Violet commanded and he teleported to do as she said. She threw an earth knife to her right. The column of earth came forth right before it was hit by a barrage of bullets. She used her semblance to be invisible as she went elsewhere.

Team VRSZ and Ghost dealt with the majority of Greyhound, leaving the stragglers for Team CLSH. Sapphire was having a blast whipping any unfortunate souls who crossed her path while Loden and Cerise were fighting near the cathedral to protect Hazel now that her drones were destroyed leaving her defenseless. She never felt more like a burden until now. There was only one thing she could use that would prove useful, but she didn't want to use it. While her attention was in her mind, she didn't notice a stray elite hound sneak up on her and grab her by the back of her tan sweat jacket. She screamed as the man ripped it off her, Loden and Cerise were surprised and rushed to defend their friend. The hound was pissed off that she was responsible for shooting him with those drones earlier, he delighted in her screams as he was ready to kill her with his brass knuckles, but a ghastly aura surrounded Hazel and the man stopped in his tracks. His face slowly turned to horror as he screamed bloody murder and fell on his backside desperately trying to backpedal away from her.

"Gah-no, GETAWAY FROM ME!" he screamed frantically, but Hazel was on her knees cowering with her ominous aura still around her. Cerise and Loden stopped in their tracks knowing what was happening. Remus teleported in between Hazel and the elite then slashed the man with his sword, knocking him out.

"Are you oka-" Remus asked, but he stopped when he saw her aura and his eyes glazed over.

His mind was somewhere unknown, a place where it was black everywhere, nothing could be seen for miles. The dark abyss offered one thing, nothingness, save for Remus being the only occupant. Outside his mind, Cerise and Loden were calming Hazel down with their eyes closed while Remus stood a few feet away in a . Back in his head, Remus was very unnerved by being alone in this oblivion until a light shined in front of him. The light began to fade and a woman appeared before him. The woman wore a lab coat that conceal whatever else she was wearing but what did stand out was the pair of canine ears and white tail.

"Dr. Lupa?" he said, confused about why she was here.

"Pathetic, I thought you were better than this," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I-I am, You made me str-"

"You really are worthless," she interrupted him while crossing her arms and looking disappointed. "You're nothing like him, a real prodigy, and you are nothing more than a failure. Maybe I should find someone else to replace you." the word failure hit him hard, it was the only insult in the world that would affect him and affect him it did. Outside his mind he was hyperventilating and Loden went over to calm him down now that Hazel was feeling better with Cerise by her side.

"Remus, Remus focus on my voice." Loden kept her hands on his shoulders.

At first the boy didn't listen, but with Hazel's aura fading he finally came to, falling to his knees looking shocked, disoriented and out of breath.

"Wh-wh-what..was...that?" Remus said finally back in reality. Now that he was out of it, Loden changed her attention to Hazel who was still sitting with Cerise covering her backside.

"Her semblance, Pandemonium, it induces anyone who sees her aura to see the things they fear the most. It does so by turning all of the victim's five senses against them and it doesn't stop unless Hazel stops it," Loden explained. "She hates her semblance more than anything. The pain it brings to her friends and foes is too great which is why she never uses it, but there are times like this whe-" She was explaining, but Remus got up and walked to Hazel.

"Are you okay?" he asked sincerely with a hand to help her up.

Hazel took it and silently nodded that she was fine, but when she saw the residual fear in his eyes brought by her semblance, she turned away in guilt, but he saw something she didn't want him to see. Wings, on her back were a pair of insect wings, but they were destroyed, more like burned to the nub, rendering them incapable of flight. Remus got a glance before Cerise covered them from his field of vision.

"Please don't tell anyone till she's ready to say it?" Cerise pleaded in her friend's steed.

"Yeah sure." His quick easy answer satisfied everyone present.

Remus was ready to enter the fray, but he felt his body shake involuntarily. "You still haven't shaken off Pandemonium yet, it varies for everyone so you should hang back here for now," Loden advised and he couldn't stop the shaking so he complied thinking about what he experienced. The darkness was one thing but Lupa's words wounded him greatly. This was the first time Remus felt emotional pain. He stayed behind with CLSH, leaving the rest to his team knowing they had everything under control, mostly Zelts.

Zelts was charged with his Conversion and he was swinging his blades with such force the wind shook the surrounding buildings. His enhanced strength not only wiped nearly every hounds, but it caused Silver to hold Violet and use Gravity to keep them in place. The strongest man on the battlefield created twisters that devastated everything, even the old buildings that fell because of his powers. The residence of Fortuna were awakened by the sounds of their battle, including Sterling who saw the windstorm and was immediately reminded of the hero who saved Fortuna years ago. It made him smile knowing his weapon were in capable hands.

 _"And I thought they couldn't handle Greyhound. It's obviously the other way, they're getting their asses handed to them,"_ Silver thought mocking his former gang. Granted, anyone going up against Zelts was bound to get hurt badly and that's nothing compared to Violet's fury. With Zelts finally letting up and the wind dying down, Silver noticed there were only about a dozen left, including the elite with the flail who wrapped his flail around a boulder to keep him in place.

" **Thick As Thieves**!"

Violet threw several earth dust knives between them and their enemies. As the hounds fired their assault rifles, the duo protected themselves using the rocks as cover, but the elite used his flail to break them apart and reduce their cover. Behind him, Ghost phased through the sand beneath him, facing the fodder behind the elite and making a face that said 'Try me.'

The hounds aimed their guns and fired at Ghost, but he activated Spectre again, leaving him intangible so the bullets passed through him and hit the elite member, chipping away at his aura and bringing him down to one knee. Ghost went through the ground again right before the man turned around with an angry glare that made his men cower in fear and humiliation. Because he lowered his guard, the hound didn't notice Silver coming for him before it was too late. Silver grabbed him by the arm with Gravity activated and threw him across the area now that he was practically weightless by Silver's semblance. The elite was hurled toward Violet, who stuck out her foot and the man landed there, face to boot, then she brought her whole leg down to curb stomp mangy mutt into the sand, rendering him unconscious and defeated. The duo looked at the remaining fodder left as they continued to cower now that they were the only ones left standing. Ghost rose from the sand and pressed Purgatory onto it, turning the sand into ice and the fodder near him had their feet frozen and stuck in place.

 _"Damn, that's all the ice dust I had left,"_ he thought before slashing at the hounds in a frenzy.

Violet and Silver met with him now that all but three were left. "Glad's that over with, elite Greyhound members my ass," Ghost said confident. "Not yet, there's still three left, Slate, another elite, and...Bianca." He hesitated when mentioning her name.

Violet noticed this and felt a little sympathy for him. "I think we need to take them on individually; Ghost will take down Slate, Silver, the last elite, and I'll face Bianca," she said, but Silver couldn't allow it.

"No, I know what you're trying to do for me, but she's...there are some things I have to tell her. Please switch with me." he asked though it sounded more like begging to the other two. Violet took a deep breath then spoke.

"Fine, make your peace with her, but don't make me regret it. I'm going to tell the others to fall back just in case."

"Thank you so much Violet, I owe you."

"You do realize after all this is over, I officially own your ass right?" she said darkly getting behind him for emphasis.

"Yeah. I know."

Closer to Fortuna's residential area, Slate was ready to leave this place where fortune played against her. All that she had left were two members in her gang. She was at a loss, everything was gone in a matter of minutes, her mind was in a state of distress. "Madam Slate," Bianca said concerned for her superior.

"Grrrrrrrrr! Damn that fodder! He and his accomplices have done more damage to my plans than anyone has in all my years!"

"...So what do we do now Madam?" the other elite asked concerned about her leader's orders and well being, but would follow her either way.

Slate was angry that her plans were thwarted by a single boy, a boy who ended up gaining a conscious here, in this town, where her former lover Stark ran away to get away from her. Her anger spiked and she wanted to vent one way or another. "Once we reach the more populated areas, destroy everything in your path." she said.

"Madam?" Bianca said surprised.

"This place has cursed me two times too many, demolish it."

"Yes Madam," the female elite said complying with her leader's order.

"Y-yes Madam." Bianca was less enthusiastic.

 **Setting: Fortuna**

The sun was beginning to rise over the horizon as the evil trio made it to the unseen border between the outskirts and the town. They were about to start their havoc until Bianca sensed something. Bianca aimed her guns to the sky and fired, deflecting several Vorpal Swords that were heading towards them. She fired at a building wall and was meet with Violet, Silver, and Ghost appearing out of thin air. They jumped down from the building to the ground, facing the of last hounds.

"Divide and conquer!" Violet ordered.

Ghost ran then leaped toward the hounds. Bianca fired, but his Spectre made her effort ineffective. The three women moved out the way as Ghost landed between them then Violet was above him as she threw her knives for them to dodge thus separating them further. Silver stood in front of Bianca, Silver did the same with Bianca, and Ghost with Slate.

 _"So this mom huh?"_ Ghost thought as they stared each other down. She looked deep into his eyes and noticed how similar they were to hers and how his face reminded her of Stark's, that was when she realized who he was. She shot him point blank between the eyes, luckily Ghost had his semblance activated before she fired. Even though she was his mother, he didn't expect any sympathy.

"Scatter!" Slate commanded and she ran away with Ghost on her trail. Bianca ran to a destination familiar to her and Silver while Violet chased the other elite through the city, but she was faster and stopped her in her tracks.

With no other choice but to fight, the elite brought out her weapon, an assortment of kunai knives, similar to Violet's own Vorpal Swords and it made her grin. She threw her kunai and Violet did the same. Knife cancelled kunai and Violet reacted quickly by grabbing her daggers for close combat then dashed to the elite who had a kunai in her hand with the same thought. When they met they clashed weapon to weapon and with a free arm, Violet used her other dagger to attack, but the elite hound intercepted and grabbed her arm before she could strike, leaving them at a stalemate but it was only temporary. Extending from the sole of the elite's shoe was a blade. Violet immediately backed away before she was slashed in the gut. Hand to hand combat would be more difficult, but not impossible.

She put one dagger in her mouth and got another knife in her hand before running to the elite again ready to fight. Their bout was astonishing to watch, not a single move was wasted on either side as they waited for one of them to slip up. The elite thought she saw an opening and thrusted her kunai to Violet's head, but she had her dagger in her mouth to clash with the kunai and protect her face, however, this gave the hound the opportune moment to cut her leg with her sole blade. It didn't rip through her leg because of her aura, but it did succeed in making her falter and lose her flow. The elite used this to gain the upper hand as she pressed Violet who was holding her own, but was being hit every now and then, slowly breaking through her aura.

The hound got cocky as she lowered her defense to focus solely on offense and Violet noticed, using it to her advantage and land an axe-kick that hit the hound in the jaw causing her to jerk her head upward, but not stopping her from losing momentum. She grabbed the leg Violet used to kick her and landed a kick herself, hitting Violet in the chest then she quickly pulled her leg back so the sole blade would run across her body inflicting more damage.

Violet was officially at a disadvantage in a close quarters fight and she needed to fall back for a new strategy so she did a back handspring to create some distance, but the elite gave her no quarter. She threw multiple kunai at Violet and many grazed and hit her mid handspring. The pain was great, but Violet endured as she finished her maneuver then threw several earth dust knives onto the wall of the building behind her and used the erected pillars of earth as stepping stones to reach the ledge of the building and gain a vantage point from above.

 _"My aura's almost depleted. This woman's no joke, it's like I'm fighting...well, me,"_ Violet thought feeling astounded and frustrated at her opponent's abilities that resemble her own.

"But there's one thing she doesn't have," she grinned triumphantly as she placed her daggers back in their holsters and grabbed as many knives as she could in each hand "and it's about to win me the fight."

Violet activated Invisibility, but instead of making herself vanish, the knives in her hands disappeared confusing the elite who was ready to threw more kunai. She threw her invisible weapons and the elite, unable to know where to dodge, closed her eyes ready for defeat, but she heard them pierce the ground around her instead of her body. She opened her eyes to see she was unharmed and the knives were nowhere to be seen. She brought her attention back to Violet who already jumped from her perch and headed straight for the hound with one of her daggers in her right hand once more. She could throw one kunai as the distance between them was greatly reduced in a matter of seconds.

Violet countered by deflecting it with her dagger and threw a punch with the hand gripping the knife. The elite dodged by stepping to the side, but she felt her foot land on something irregular. Looking down the elite saw electricity come out of nowhere and zap her, leaving her open for Violet to elbow her in the chest, knocking her down. She landed on her back, but she felt a painful jab as she landed on something else, this time a pillar of came forth, causing her to be forcibly lifted back up, only for Violet to kick her down again with enough force to push her back onto the small pillar and break through it.

"What the hell is happening?" the elite said aloud, but Violet wasn't the type to explain her tricks.

"You stepped into my **Flower Garden**."

Violet sidestepped and danced around the battlefield as she approached her foe. The elite thought she was trying to confuse her so she decided to use the direct approach until she stepped on something again and was met with electricity running through her body again stopping her in her tracks as Violet threw a punch with her empty hand but the elite was able to dodge barely making contact with her fist but she saw her jacket gain a new rip through it. She was confused about what caused it but it only made the matter worse for her, she couldn't understand what was going, she was losing ground progressively, and she hasn't land an attack yet. She felt like she was going insane, all the while Violet was calm, cool, and collected.

The elite could only think of the one advantage she had left, her sole blade. It wasn't much, but it was all she could think of, now she just needed to get close enough to use it. And fortune seemed to favor her as Violet moved in for a fist fight. Violet didn't land her first punch, but quickly pivoted her foot so she could land a swift kick to her back, the hound was slowing down now that her body was writhing in pain. She had a kunai in her hand to swipe Violet's unarmed one and the last of her aura, but was stopped by something invisible and sounded like metal when it made contact. Her irritation was amplified as nothing seemed to make sense anymore so she abandoned all logic and went into a frenzy. Violet backed up a few feet putting her dagger away as the hound ran at her in blind aggression. She sprinted to Violet and dragged her foot equipped with the hidden blade to get ready for a clean hit on her neck, but she stubbed her toe on something she couldn't see again. This time her foot was encased in ice, immobilizing her and pushing her to an emotional breakdown.

"WHY?! WHY CAN'T I HIT YOU ANYMORE?!" she shouted in rage. Her question would go on without an answer as Violet got in position and performed a powerful roundhouse kick to the hound's temple, breaking through the last of her aura and knocking her unconscious as she fell to the ground with a frozen leg. Violet sat down on the street to catch her breath before moving again.

 **Setting: Concordia**

Slate ran away from Ghost all the way to the capital. She didn't bother with her original plan to spread chaos because she was too focused on running, but knew it was futile and any attacks would fail against his semblance. She was running out of options and it didn't help that Ghost blasted her with a bolt of lightning making her trip and tumble to the ground.

Ghost was impassive about his mother's condition, she shot him in the face, or tried to, but it didn't change the fact that she was the leader of the gang that killed his father. His resolve to stop her was absolute regardless of their blood ties. Slate was not as young as she used to be which is why she stayed out of battles unless accompanied by her hounds. She couldn't win this way, but the whims of Fortuna smiled upon her as a few of its denizens were emerging from their homes to begin their day. None of them were aware of the situation and Slate was thankful for it. Ghost immediately knew what she was planning to do and he ran to the nearest civilian remembering his number one priority, protecting the people. She readied her gun to shoot the innocent bystander, but Ghost came between them and she fired. He couldn't evade with Spectre because it would bypass him and hit the resident, so he had to brace for the bullet. He felt the pain and doubled over, but had enough strength to shout to the people.

"GET OUT OF HER-" his proclamation was cut short by Slate when she shot two more rounds into his gut.

Her bullets were specially made to greatly damage aura so only a few are needed to break through aura. The second shot broke his aura and the third one was lodged into the right side of his gut. He fell to his side placing his hand over his gunshot wound as the people ran back into their homes and Slate marched to him until she saw his face and that defiant look in his eyes made her eyes twitch in disgust. "Standing against me to the very end. Just like your father!" she said before kicking him in his wound.

"AAAAUUUGGHHH!" he screamed from the intense pain.

"JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER!" She continued to kick and stomp in the same area and he was helpless against her. She got few more kicks in before exhausting herself, watching him suffer made her feel so much pleasure imagining he was Stark with her foot to his throat. Slate had her gun aimed at his head ready to kill him. "Any son that goes against his mother's wishes is no son of mine."

"Th-or maybe... your just a bad mother," Ghost said through intense pain with a smile on his face despite his body was losing blood. Even in the face of death he mocked her and she promptly fired her revolver, but it missed its mark.

"You really are a bad mom," someone said invading her personal space. His hand was gripped over hers and her gun moving it away from Ghost's person. Slate couldn't explain it but she suddenly felt her body become slow and sluggish, too slow to effectively retaliate against this man.

"What...are you...doing..here?" Ghost asked on the verge of passing out.

"Your employer found me and asked for my assistance," the man said as the sound of someone singing could be heard.

"~Moon river, wider than a mile. I'm crossing you in style some day~"

Ghost was losing consciousness as he fainted, not before hearing a familiar harmonious voice and seeing Slate grip her head and fell to her knees as she screamed in pain. "She's here," he whispered joyfully before everything went black.

 **Setting: Warehouse**

Silver followed Bianca to their former rendezvous point, the warehouse. He felt confident that he could hold his own now that she wasn't at a hundred percent, but it wasn't a guarantee. She went inside through the door and Silver scaled the large building with Gravity and used a window as an entry point, but Bianca knew her former junior very well and open fired as soon as she saw him. His aura took several hits before using Gravity again to hasten his fall and quickly plummet to the ground behind a crate. She was relentless with her gunfire and it took some time before her suppressing fire ceased. Silver used that moment to move around and get behind another crate, but he didn't use it for cover, he shot it with **Gravity Bullet** to make it weightless and kicked it toward Bianca. It moved quickly and Bianca could on dodge roll out of the way, losing sight of Silver again. He couldn't fight a long battle, all the fights that he was a part of in the past twenty-four hours exhausted both him and his ammunition, he was down to whatever bullets were left in Ceasefire's chambers, but he was hoping he could end this with words.

"Bianca stop this, Greyhound is done, there's no more reason for you to fight." Silver hoped to reason with her at the same time giving up his position.

Bianca fired at the crate he was using as cover while running to his location and jumping above the damaged crate perched above her former friend before attacking. She jumped on top of him and pinned him to the ground. "They're gone because of you. Everything I lived and strive for... my family, all gone in one day and it's all your fault, Silvester," she said rather calm given the situation, but Silver knew she's the type to always keep her cool, even in turmoil or in the heat of battle. Silver activated Gravity and lifted Bianca and himself into the air but it didn't loosen her grip.

She actually used Gravity against him by putting her feet on his back and kicking off like he was a springboard and with his body having zero to little gravity, he was propelled to a familiar stack of crates and crashed into it, making the boxes fall on top of him. Bianca landed on the ground watching her opponent get buried beneath two dozen boxes of wood. "How could you betray your family? How could you betray me?" she said this a little more emotional than she liked. Bianca walked to the mess then stood on top of the crates and continued to walk on top of the fallen crates while searching for Silver. She walked for a while before stopping and stretching her arm out behind her with her gun in hand and she pressed the button that launched her bayonet knife. Silver popped out of the ground ready to fight, but he was in the line of fire. Her bayonet hit him in his right hand, disarming him of Ceasefire in his right hand. He glanced at her and saw the emotional pain in her eyes before diving beneath the crates again.

"I did it because they aren't your family! None of us ever were, just pawns for a deranged woman who's only looking out for herself. And you more than any one of us." It piqued her interests that he singled her out but didn't let it halt her actions.

"If you're trying to sway me you're not doing a good job," she said being careful of her surroundings.

She suddenly heard gunfire under her feet, but nothing else. At least she knew his hiding place, but it didn't help. Silver used **Gravity Bullet** to remove the effect of gravity from the above him and beneath Bianca's feet then pushed them off with all the strength he could muster. His efforts were successful as he threw the crates quite high into the air and it knocked Bianca off her balance. The sudden movement sent a searing pain in her previous injury with Zelts and she clutched her abdomen. Silver's momentum didn't stop there as he let loose several shots and he was successful at disarming her leaving both with one gun. He knew she was a better sharpshooter so he rushed to her with Ceasefire in staff mode. He clashed with her gun's bayonet and a duel began between them.

"Greyhound, no Slate, she had Stark, your father, killed," he said in the midst of fighting but it didn't seem to affect her.

"Madam Slate already told me what happened to my father. He died a traitor... as per protocol he was dealt with accordingly." Bianca hesitated saying that last part, thinking about Silver instead of her father. She really didn't want this fight to have a winner believing the end result would be the end of any kind of relationship between them. She got a solid punch to his face, but felt just as much emotional pain as he did physical.

"Did your precious 'Madam' tell you about how she killed your mother as well?" he asked and this time his words stopped her assault. He knew how highly she thought of her mother and maybe it was enough for her to break out of Slate's grasp. Unfortunately, Bianca kicked him in the gut then a strong side kick that knocked him back a couple feet.

"Don't lie!" she shouted letting her emotions finally take control. Bianca won't stand for anyone speaking blasphemy about her mother, not even Silver.

Bianca's onslaught continued until she broke through his aura. Silver was on all fours out of breath and in pain. He realized even with a handicap he wasn't going to win this fight so he had to go with plan B, luckily Violet supplied him with the means for this stratagem to commence. He ran away, using Gravity to jump high and land near the same window he used to enter. Bianca fired relentlessly, but with her raw emotions in control of her actions, her aim was drastically off giving him the time he need to get out and climb to the roof.

Silver made it to the top of the building and watched as the sun peaked over the sandy horizon. It has officially been twenty-four hours since he started betraying his friends, betraying Greyhound, fighting Greyhound, and trying to reason with Bianca while making sure she doesn't kill him. He was exhausted beyond belief and he was impressed with himself that he was still standing. Silver really wanted a shower, but he had to keep his priorities in order as he waited for Bianca to meet him here. It was taking her awhile so Silver was able to catch his breath and watch the daybreak. _"I wonder if she can make it here by herself?"_ he thought worried though his concern was dashed when he heard gunfire and saw the holes made by the bullets next to him. Bianca bust through the roof with a fuming look on her face.

 _"...Never mind,"_ he thought slightly impressed with Bianca's drive before aiming his gun at her and she did the same. He noticed that her bayonet was missing from her weapon so he guessed that she was holding it behind her back in her other hand. Lucky for him, he was given the same idea by Violet before they left for their individual fights.

* * *

 _"Fine, make your peace with her but don't make me regret it. I'm going to tell the others to fall back just in case."_

 _"Thank you so much Violet, I owe you."_

 _"You do realize after all this is over I officially own your ass right?" she said darkly getting behind him for emphasis._

 _"Yeah. I know."_

 _When Violet stood behind him, she put two Vorpal Swords in his hands and he silently accepted her small tokens of forgiveness._

* * *

Silver held the same position as Bianca with the two Vorpal Swords behind his back. Both sides weren't moving an inch, each waiting for the other to show any sign of weakness, hesitation, or make a careless first move. Bianca was prepared to bear her heart's pain and kill her former junior while Silver was prepared to end this without having to end her life. Before it got ugly, he tried one more time to convince her.

"Bianca, Slate told me on the way to Fortuna about your mother. She reveled in telling me how she killed her because she was jealous of your mother's relationship with your father."

She was trying to keep her cool while refusing to accept his words as truth. To her, Slate wasn't a person who could do such things to her own members. Once this was over, Bianca intends to ask Slate directly. "Stop lying! My mother died in action as a proud member of Greyhound!" she said with the smallest sign of wavering. Silver saw this and needed to push her further, telling her the truth is the best option so he continued even if it hurt her.

"Did Slate tell you that?" he asked and he was answered with silence. "She wanted to keep you by her side as her own inside joke, to laugh and mock the bond between your mother and father whenever she ordered you to do her bidding." Bianca's gun was shaking meaning he was making some kind of impact. "To play with people's lives like that... I couldn't follow someone so cruel anymore and I planned to kill her and all of Greyhound including me... but not you, as the only person in Greyhound who treated me like a human being, I could never let you get involved in this. You were always meant to be the sole survive my betrayal, it was my choice long before that witch told me what she did to your parents. You were the only beacon of light in that dark hell and I won't let you go back there!"

Bianca didn't know if his words about Slate were true or not, but she could tell he was speaking truthfully about his feelings for her. Tears were beginning to accumulate in her eyes and it was getting harder not to blink the salty liquid out of her eyes, but she couldn't. Silver used this moment to run straight for her. Bianca expected Silver to do this since she taught him that years ago to take any chance given. She had her eyes closed from the sting of her tears, but she kept her gun aimed where Silver was, however it wasn't effective because she trained him on how to evade that tactic as well. He improvised by blocking the bullet with his gun even though it knocked Ceasefire out of his hands leaving him with Violet's two Vorpal Swords as his only weapons. He did a vertical slash with the knives only to disarm her, knocking her gun out of her hand and sending it falling of the roof but he still had the bayonet knife to deal with.

Her vision cleared, Bianca activated Stardust then twirled her hair while jumping back to spread the shining particles in front of Silver. She snapped her fingers and her glove flickered red with the intention to let Stardust explode in her opponent's face. Silver reacted quickly by using his semblance to jump high in the air in order to dodge and to make his final move. Bianca had her eyes on him and that's what he wanted. With a Vorpal Sword in each hand, he positioned the knives using the sun's morning rays to reflect off the knives and into her eyes, blinding her more than the tears. She was caught off guard and Silver landed on top of her, pinning her to the ground, but it wasn't enough, with all her might, Bianca actually grabbed hold of him and pulled a reversal, pinning him to the ground instead. She continued her attack by keeping him in place by sitting on top of him and plunging the bayonet in his heart. Silver blocked it with one of the knives in one hand and poured his aura into it to activated the ice dust, which encased both their arms in ice and it continued to grow around their bodies. Bianca looked on in shock and Silver softly pressed his fist with the second knife on her chest as he activated the ice dust in that one as well, freezing the two of them even more.

The two could do nothing else but wait for the ice to freeze them. Bianca stared hard at Silver with red eyes that had traces of tears while he looked at her with an expression that said 'I'm sorry.' The ice fully encased them, ending the fight with no winner and deep down, the two fighters were very relieved it ended this way.

 **Setting: Outskirts of Fortuna**

Silver woke up feeling tired and cold, but he noticed a blanket wrapped around his body. He looked to the sky and saw the morning sun a little higher than it was when he battled Bianca meaning some time has passed. The thought of Bianca made him finally realize he wasn't in the ice, he looked around his surroundings and noted he was in the back seat of a car. Looking out the window he saw several more cars, men in black suits apprehending the members of Greyhound, and Zelts watching it all unfold. Silver's body was hurt but he ignored the pain and opened the door to the car to get out.

Zelts heard his actions and looked in his direction. "You're okay," he said relieved. Keeping the blanket wrapped around his body, Silver approached his ally with some questions.

"What's happening?"

"Well first, we won, Greyhound is utterly defeated," Zelts said and Silver was glad they were finally dealt with. "Not only that, but Clair de Lune returned home just as we were finishing up, she's here with her task force to take everyone in Greyhound into custody."

 _"Everyone..."_ he thought then asked Zelts where he could find her.

"Greyhound is being taken to those three airships. Clair is there along with Violet and Remus," he pointed to where the airships were.

Silver thanked him and tried to walk over there but his body was tremendously worn out, he was past his limit long ago, relying solely on his willpower, but now it has finally caught up with him. He almost fell over until feeling his body landing on something other than a pile of sand. Opening his eyes, Silver saw Zelts catching him and using his own body as support, he helped Silver to his feet and walked with him to Clair. Silver couldn't look him in the eye, feeling so gratefully Zelts was helping him after everything he's done to him and the others.

"Zelts," he said softly. Zelts silently acknowledged his call.

"I'm glad we're still friends," Silver said feeling a little more emotional than he wanted. He wasn't on the verge of tears, but his feelings were well understood by the recipient. Zelts smiled and looked forward as they walked.

"Me too."

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Hazel is a faunus with hornet wings, but they're burnt off. She and her friends have kept this a secret and they want Remus to do the same. He has actually known Hazel was a faunus the first time he saw her. He can tell the difference between human and faunus with just a look.**

 **Hazel's semblance, Pandemonium, can control a person's fives senses, traps them in a hallucinated world, and makes them see the things they fear the most. It is a powerful and deadly ability that affects anyone who sees the change in Hazel's aura. When Remus was caught in Pandemonium he was in a world of nothing but darkness then was ridiculed by someone named Lupa. Despite appearing to have no fear, Remus has two and he experienced them both. The fear of loneliness and the fear of failure with failure being the biggest one and it only gets worse when he is called one by the person whom's opinion matters so much to him. The identity of Lupa will not be mentioned until later on in the VRSZ story.**

 **Sapphire has developed a crush on Ghost, but he may not reciprocate but she bears a good resemblance to Turquoise, someone Ghost despises.**

 **Violet's semblance can affect whatever she touches and the duration varies depending on the size for example, Violet can stay invisible for ten minutes. The larger the object the less time it has and the smaller the object the more time it has. If an object is too large, it can't be affected by her semblance. She uses this in tandem with her weapons for her new move.**

 **Flower Garden: Violet uses her semblance to make every Vorpal Sword knife invisible and scatter them throughout the battlefield. Because of their small size, they can stay invisible for an extremely long time and because of the various effects each on has, there is no telling which will be set off. Violet's strategic mind is able to remember where each on is located so she gains a large advantage in battle when using this technique. Violet can direct her teammates on where to move using silent ques and only they understand. She also uses it with her daggers so it would look like she's just clenching her fist but actually has the invisible blade in her hand.**

 **The name and idea for Flower Garden comes from the rose garden and hedge maze of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. No one knows the right way out of this technique but Violet and she's the type of person that doesn't describe her abilities to her enemies, she likes the advantage of being an unknown adversary.**

 **Even though Zelts doesn't enjoy fighting, he is the most destructive member. He destroyed several buildings in this fight alone while the others destroyed at least one. Two for Violet since she also destroyed their own base and their car. Silver has yet to destroy a building or structure.**


	15. Family Ties

**Setting: Outskirts of Fortuna**

Zelts walked to the three airships while supporting, more like carrying Silver on his shoulders. They walked over and saw Violet and Clair de Lune Vantablack as they watched the defeated members board each one, handcuffed and under the watchful eye of Clair's men and some Atlesian drones. Sensing their presence, Clair turned around to face them and Violet did as well.

"Hello boys, what can I do for you?" Clair asked in her usual playful tone. Even when her home was about to be overrun by criminals, she still kept a smile on her face. Silver tried to stand on his own, but he couldn't and Zelts immediately returned to his side keeping him on his feet. Silver focused on talking instead of standing.

"I'm sorry." The first thing to come out of his mouth. He would bow in forgiveness, but he didn't think his body would be able to lift him back up.

"An apology? For what darling?" she asked confusing Silver and he seemed to be the only one perplexed by what she said.

"Um...for bringing a bunch of criminals to Fortuna?" he said like a child that was asking if that was the right answer. She giggled to herself like it was her own inside joke.

"Oh that? I knew about your connection with Greyhound a long time ago," she said in a matter of fact tone.

"da-eh gu...WHAT?!" he shouted unfortunately close to Zelts' ear.

Violet said nothing as she kept the same face when the conversation started. As a friend of Clair, she wasn't surprised by the young woman's ability to gather information, but she was a little upset on the fact she didn't tell her about it. "Violet wasn't the only one I kept tabs on. I always take precautions when it comes to Fortuna. Even your suicide plan, if it failed and Greyhound used the secret passageways to infiltrate my home, my enforcers would've swooped in and disposed of them soundly. However, it would've involved my home getting caught in the crossfire, your intervention played out better than I hoped. Thank you." Clair said with a happy grin _._

 _"Okay forget Slate and maybe Violet too, she is probably the scariest one of all,"_ Silver thought terrified about how Clair's mind works.

 _"Wait, she knew about my plan, then..."_

"Ghost told you, where is he? This wouldn't have worked without him." For the first time, Clair's happiness disappeared and her expression transformed into neutral face with her lips forming a thin straight line. She was about to speak when everyone heard cackling.

Behind their backs was Slate in handcuffs, being escorted to one of the airships by a member of her task force. "He's dead. He's dead. Stark is dead again."

Slate seemed to be in her own world right now or having a psychotic breakdown now that everything she created was destroyed. Whatever it was it didn't matter anymore. "I killed him all over again. That bastard may have had my blood, but that doesn't mean I'll spare him, I'll kill anyone who stands in my way, just like I did his father and Bellanca," she said too busy reveling in her self-deluded revenge to notice she was the second to last person to board the airship.

Behind her was Bianca who was also being escorted to the airship, but had to stop when Slate stopped. She wore a face that had a plethora of emotions; disbelief, pain, sorrow, despair and more. "I-It's... please Madam Slate, tell that isn't true. What Silver told me about you killing my..." She couldn't bear to finish her plea as she looked at her leader and mentor. Slate looked at her with a blank expression then smiled in a most hideous way confirming she did kill Bellanca and was proud of it.

Bianca stood there, dangerously processing everything she believed were lies, all lies created by her parents' killer. She was stuck in a state of shock ignoring the world around her which is why she didn't react when Slate started her laughing at her. Silver was ready to shoot her if he had the strength and he looked to Violet to give her a punch in her jaw in his name, but someone else approached Slate.

Clair de Lune Vantablack walked up to Slate and slapped her across the face. The sound alone caused everyone to stop what they were doing and divert their attention to the situation, even Slate stopped laughing when she felt the quick but smart pain on her left cheek. A red mark formed on her cheek as she slowly turned her head to aggressor. Clair's face was truly frightening, it was the angriest, darkest face she could make and it scared everyone, including Slate who was trembling under the scrutinizing glare of the Vantablack. "Ghost, your so called son, is alive and recovering as we speak," Clair said triumphantly to the terrified woman. "Don't. Ever. Speak his name again," she threatened and she was met with submissive silence.

"H-h-he's fine?" Silver asked a little afraid to talk to Clair right now, but his fear was for naught. She turned around and instantly returned to her previous smile when she faced him, she was definitely the scariest person he's ever met.

"Of course, he was in bad shape when we arrived, but we were able to contain Slate and give Ghost medical attention."

"We?" he couldn't help it with the endless questions.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot, before I arrived back to Fortuna I met someone who agreed to be in my employ, someone you are acquainted with."

Before Silver could ask who, Violet pointed to his answer. He looked to where her finger pointed and saw Remus bothering someone he recognized immediately. "Please, can we fight. I've gotten stronger since then, I can prove it!" he said enthusiastically, but the man had his hands up defensively and chuckled.

"I believe you Remus, you're Cobalt after all. However, I don't think now is an appropriate time, besides aren't you tired?" Blood asked trying to avoid a fight, but Remus shook his head.

"I can keep going... but you're right. It would be best if we do this some other time," he said a little dejected but he surprisingly complied.

"I'm glad you understa-"

"How about tomorrow?" Remus interrupted with his usual pep. Blood sighed and walked away not answering his question. "Or the day after? I leveled up, I can win now." He continued to follow the bat faunus around the desert.

"Blood's here, and he works for you now?" Silver asked, but he shook his head realizing he has greatly digressed from the real reason he came to her. "Forget about that. I wanted to ask you for a favor." Clair arched one of her eyebrows wondering what he wanted. "Please spar Bianca, she's as much of a victim as me, maybe more. Please have mercy." Silver pleaded to the Lady of Fortuna ready to whatever it takes to protect his friend. If she asked him to do something to save her he would do it, even if he had to take her place aboard that ship. He wanted her to have some kind of peace.

"Okay."

He looked at her dumbfounded. "...That's it?"

He couldn't believe she agreed so easily. "Yeah. Ghost told me as much as he could before being taken to the hospital." She walked over to Bianca who was still a little heartbroken but appeared to be back in touch with reality as she lifted her eyes to look at Clair when she approached. "It seems you are my employee's sister, nice to meet you," she said kindly, but was met with a whisper.

"Sister?"

"Yes, my Ghost told me you two have the same father and he would like to meet you." Clair spoke to the mentally fragile girl kindly and it seemed to work when Bianca was responding. "Would you want to stay in my care? It's better than a prison cell in Atlas where your former companions are going and you'll have Silver and your brother, you won't be alone. Having a sister will help him better his social skills."

Bianca looked at the miserable wretch that was Slate then looked at Clair de Lune who seemed to be an angel enveloped in light. She nodded, accepting her terms. Clair smiled and Silver was relieved as he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The man holding Bianca released her while Slate was taken to the ship that finally departed. "Take Bianca to Concordia and give her a room, she's had a long day," Clair ordered her men and they did so silently with Bianca following just as silent.

"I don't know about you guys,but I'm ready to head home. I'm ready to flop onto my bed," Zelts said feeling tired, but mostly sleepy. Silver and Violet glanced at each other like they were sharing a secret.

"Um... Zelts about the base..." Violet said a little worried about she was going to explain.

 **Setting: Former VRSZ Base**

All of team VRSZ were present as they stared at whatever remained of their home. Remus and Zelts were in complete shock while Silver looked away and Violet kept her head down like a child in trouble.

"Silver I understand that you needed to gain Greyhound's trust to implement your plan, BUT WHAT THE HELL! Did you have to blow up the base?!" Zelts shouted pretty mad.

"All my games were in there. I bought those with the Lien I earned and now it's all dust. Like it was complete waste of time," Remus said more neutral than sad, but it made Violet feel terrible especially when Silver was silently taking the blame for everything.

"Come on guys, it's not that bad. Things can be replaced and-" Silver tried to cover for Violet, but a thought entered his head. All the things he collected from fighting strong opponents were in that base as well. "Oh my god my spoils of war! Gone!" he yelled as he feel to his knees and his attempt to make Violet feel better had the reverse effect.

"Actually guys," Violet said raising her hand, "this is my fault. When Silver and I fought I- I got a little away." She watched as they stared at her. Violet felt uncomfortable under their gaze as she squirmed. _"I'm not that scary,"_ she thought to herself. They heard giggling behind them. Turning around they saw Clair and Blood with the former holding her hand to her face like she was surprised.

"My my Violet, you truly are terrifying, remind me not to get on your bad side any time soon." Her remark made Violet feel even more like a monster as she slumped her shoulders.

Zelts realized their comments were pretty demoralizing based on Violet's reactions so he tried to lighten the mood. "It's not the end of the world, we still have tons of money from all our jobs, that's enough to get a new place to live. All we need to do is go to the bank that has our money."

Violet remained silent. "Which bank do you use Wallflower?" Clair asked but Violet stayed quiet.

"I-uh. Don't use banks... I keep the money hidden in the base," she said playing with the hair on the unshaven side of her head glancing at Zelts who would always look on the brighter side on things hoping he would do so again.

"I got nothing. We could ask CLSH if we could bunk with them, but it's not a permanent solution," he said and she couldn't get any lower. No car, no home, no possessions, and no money, Team VRSZ were officially homeless vagabonds.

"Oh! I have a wonderful idea!" Clair said joyfully gaining everyone's attention. "There's still the money I owe you for completing your mission and think I know how to use it," she said rather giddy.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Bellanca is a name meaning blond and Bianca was sort of named after her.**

 **The base is officially gone, they won't be going back there. The same goes for their wheels and getting a car is extremely rare in Fortuna, only Clair has access to them and that's for police officers and her enforcers.**

 **Violet complimented CLSH for their work while Silver was frozen. Her words of praise filled them all with pride, especially Cerise who literally rolled on the floor too overwhelmed with joy.**

 **This volume consists of two parts, Silver's past and the past of another member.**


	16. Be Our Guest

**Setting: Vantablack**

Clair brought VRSZ to a house that was block away from her office building/home. It looked a little out of place surrounded by city buildings and apartments, not because it was a home among towers, but because it looked too nice to be here. It was an architect's fantasy home, so modern, much larger than VRSZ's base and more appealing to the eye than their makeshift metal home.

"This is a townhouse owned by the Vantablack family. It's an heirloom passed down to each new head to be used as they see fit. As time went by, members of my family refurbished and renovated it into what stands before you. Now it is mine and I now know what I'll do with it, give to VRSZ," Clair stated proudly, but it bewildered the others.

"Really!? I mean, I almost brought a gang into Fortuna and yo- GAH!" Silver spoke, but Zelts elbowed him to shut him up.

"She's giving us a house, don't question it," he whispered, but was met with Silver grunting at him while rubbing his arm. It was quite amusing to see their personalities reversed in that moment.

"Are you sure about this?" Violet asked. "If it's a Vantablack heirloom, then I don't think we should take it."

Clair raised her hand. "I'll hear none of that. It's yours, the end, besides my family has done worse with this place, believe me." Clair placed the key to the house in Violet's hand then closed it as sign it belonged to her now. "I'll give you your mission money tomorrow, use it to buy whatever you need, for now, enjoy each other's company in your new home, _neighbor,_ " Clair said the last word playfully. "I have some pressing work to do for Fortuna's reconstruction." Clair waved goodbye as she left with Blood behind her.

Violet looked at the keys, the house, then her team. "I guess this is our new home."

The inside was just as marvelous as the outside. The living room had wooden flooring and a grey rug placed underneath some furniture; black L-shaped sectional sofa large enough for multiple people to sit on at once and a coffee table with drawers and a shelf. The walls were made of drywall, except for one that was made of brick, that wall had a very large white bookcase with a flat screen television in the middle, but the shelves were empty. There was a window behind the sofa, in the corner were the stairs that led to the second floor, and further down was the kitchen. It distinguished itself from the living room by having white marble flooring. It had stainless steel, eight burner gas stove and oven, a microwave, dishwasher, sink and cabinets for utensils and other things, and an island table with six chairs. To the left was a short hallway with four doors. The first door on the left led to a guest room and the one directly across from it led to a bathroom. The one at the end leads to the garage which was quite large, but empty except for a washing machine and a dryer. The one on the right leads to the recreational room, but there was nothing inside that room as well.

Silver was the first to move as he walked to the kitchen with his eyes focused on one particular appliance, the refrigerator. It was just like the one he saw in CLSH's home and just like that time he hugged it much to his allies confusion. "I will clean you, fill you with the best foods, and treat you right, I promise," he said not caring who heard his oath.

"That's good to hear Silver," Violet said approaching him from behind, "because you'll be the one responsible for cleaning the kitchen, dishes, clothing, and the house chores in general for the next few months."Her words broke him out of his trance. "We discussed this when you were frozen in ice, we were still kind of mad at you, so we thought giving you chore duties for a while was a good enough punishment." Silver couldn't complain after everything he put them through, he silently accepted.

Upstairs, Remus and Zelts surveyed the second floor. Up the stairs was a hallway with four bedrooms and a bathroom. "Wow," Remus said impressed.

"Ditto," Zelts agreed equally impressed. Three of the bedrooms were about equal in size. Two rooms were next to each other with one of them directly across from the third room, and the third across from the bathroom. They had their own closet and windows with one room just having one window while the others had two.

"Guys, come look at this!" Remus shouted so they could hear. Zelts went to his location then Violet and Silver followed suit into the fourth room which they concluded was the master bedroom. They were all stunned by its magnificence, the size alone trumped the other rooms and it had a king size bed, a walking closet, and an ornamental master bathroom with its own bathtub and shower.

"Dibs," Silver said breaking the silence.

"What? You can't call dibs, it doesn't work that way," Zelts said.

"Uh that's exactly how dibs works. First one to say dibs on something they lay eyes on is theirs, that's how it works... Dibs," Silver replied about to walk in, but Violet put her arm in front of him to stop his claim to the room.

"Mine."

"B-but I called dibs," Silver defended.

"You also went behind my back with Greyhound," she said in a matter of fact tone.

"...You're not going to let that go anytime soon are you?" he said knowing the answer.

"Nope."

"Fair enough, it's yours boss."

Each room had a bed for everyone to sleep on so they were good for tonight, but the house itself was rather vacant, they need to replace and buy a lot of things to make it feel like home. That was the plan for tomorrow, but for now, each member went to downstairs to rest on the sofa for awhile, but they all ended up asleep for the rest of the day and the next. After everything they've been through in such a short span of time, they've certainly earned it.

 **Setting: Unknown**

A man was sitting at a desk in a poorly lit room looking at some papers in one hand while playing with a mechanical hunting knife in the other. He skimmed through mostly old papers he forgot to check long ago until he stumbled upon something peculiar. He looked at a printed copy of Turquoise's old wanted poster of Team VRSZ with their profile pictures.

"Can it be?" the man said bringing the poster closer to his face staring at a specific picture then he laughed. "The former champion lives, Jasper would be pleased to hear his prize is still alive. And that means I'll be hunting soon. Marvelous."

 **Setting: Vantablack**

Bianca was located in a hotel in Vantablack, Fortuna's capital where Concordia and VRSZ's new home is as well. She was sitting on her bed doing absolutely nothing but thinking about the events that transpired. Her face was blank and her emotions could not be discerned but she snapped out of it when someone knocked on her door. Bianca opened the door and saw Clair with a smile on her face.

"Lady Clair," she said.

"I hope you don't mind my intrusion, but there's someone who wants to meet you. Is it alright with you? We can do this another time if you're not feeling up to it." Clair waited for a response. Bianca was stunned by this woman who would be her future boss. She was the exact opposite of Slate, so kind, caring, and she asks instead of demands. Bianca absentmindedly nodded her head and followed Clair.

They traveled to a hospital then to an occupied room where someone was laying in bed. When he sensed their presence he got up to a sitting position and the blanket over his body fell a little revealing bandages wrapped around his abdomen.

"How are you feeling Ghost?" Clair asked concerned and Bianca realized this is Ghost, the second child of Stark, her younger half-brother. She froze when she noticed he was looking at her. Bianca had no idea what to say, the first time they met she tried to shot him, not the best first impression. "I'll leave you two alone, I need to focus on the reconstruction of the outskirts, it will soon become my top priority." Clair left to give the siblings their space, but the silence was still in the air until Ghost initiated.

"Hey sis, how you doing?"

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **The title of this chapter is named after the Beauty and the Beast song.**

 **Vantablack is the name of Fortuna's capital city. It wasn't a vain decision made by the Vantablack family, but was chosen by the people when the town was restored and they wanted to thank the people who did it.**


	17. Same Old, Same Old

**Setting: Fortuna**

It has been a week since the battle for Fortuna which ended in VRSZ's victory. No one outside the incident knew the truth with the exception of Sterling. Clair was broad in her description as she told her people a simple group of vagabonds tried to takeover, but were swiftly dealt with by a certain group of freelancers she hired to protect her people. They may not know all the details, but a few of the denizens have guessed that she was referring to Team VRSZ, a team of freelancers that are becoming quite well known in Fortuna. With her voyage to kingdoms and other towns complete, Clair returned with the support of several benefactors to help with Fortuna's reconstruction, the town would be close to a city like it was originally intended to be. The time table has accelerated tremendously thanks to Team VRSZ's destructiveness in their battle as many of the old buildings were destroyed, allowing for the construction of new ones to be started immediately. This work has not only boasted the morale of the citizens, but with the outskirts no longer abandoned and lawless, many thugs and criminals were forced to leave Fortuna bring bounties to an all time low, but Grimm activity hasn't changed and some criminals still reside in the town, allowing hunstmen, huntresses, and the freelancers to find work in Moneta.

However, none of this had anything to do with VRSZ. With their new base beautiful but barren, they used the large sum of money Clair rewarded them to buy all kinds of things for themselves. The house finally felt like a home and they enjoyed it very much, even Silver, who had to do the majority of the housework, but never complained. The location was ideal as well, now that their jeep was destroyed beyond repair. They can walk to most places, but Violet missed having her own set of wheels and vehicles were very uncommon in Fortuna since they come from outside sources. They had several guests visit, including Team CLSH who announced they have signed up to be some of the first students at Fortuna's first training academy that was being built, but temporarily held classes in another vicinity, Clair visited as well, but more to hide from Blood who needed her back in office to finish her work. The only ones who have yet to visit were Ghost and Bianca.

Silver was in the kitchen cleaning dishes with Zelts sitting on a chair at the island. "Have you seen Bianca recently?" he asked but Silver didn't budge from his work.

"No, but after everything that happened, I'm giving her some space. She'll come when she's ready, besides she's in Clair's employ, I doubt she'll have enough free time."

"It's been so peaceful these past few days," Zelts said resting his arm on the island table with a semi-blissful look. There weren't any serious threats to the team since the Greyhound incident and they enjoyed every minute of it. There were even times when they didn't do missions, mostly because of the leftover money and the passing days being too peaceful to go look for a fight.

"Yeah, but we'll have to go back to work soon, we spent most of our money on supplies and now that we live in the town, we have to pay bills, better start looking for jobs," Silver said finishing the last of the dishes.

"Violet knows that too, that's why she out with Remus right now to get more money," Zelts said.

 **Setting: Outside of a Casino**

Violet and Remus left a casino, each holding a big bag of money. The boy seemed indifferent about it, but Violet had a big victorious smile on her face.

"I had no idea gambling was that easy," Remus said picking up the pace to walk by her side.

"It's easy for me. I always win at card games, poker is no different," Violet said proud of her haul as they walked to a bank to store their winnings. Remus was unstoppable when it came to video games, Violet is unstoppable when it comes to card games.

The two were on their way home. Violet's eyes wandered around and she saw something that caught her eye, a man flying in the air a few blocks away. She stopped in her tracks which caused Remus, who was absentmindedly following from behind, to bump into her.

He reeled back. "Violet?"

"Remus could you do me a favor?" she asked in a sweet tone that she knew worked on him.

 **Setting: Libera**

Libera was the district in Fotuna that bordered it from the former outskirts, now reconstruction site. Many criminals left Fortuna while a few relocated to Libera, making the place less desirable to live in for the normal populace. Gunfire was heard and the sound of metal smashing against something. Landing on his feet was Blood, looking rather annoyed before taking a two steps to his right to dodge a massive metal ax. Holding that ax was a young woman with long hair that resembled wildfire and a deranged smile. Blood looked ahead and saw a young man with a shotgun pointed at him, this boy had the same color hair as his companion but he his was spiky. He fired several times at Blood but he jumped out of the way and flew to the top of a small rundown shop but the girl followed suit and attacked him again with the intent to cleave him in half. Blood effortlessly dodged again, leaving the shop to be cut cleanly in half.

"This guy is pretty quick on his feet. What do think Vermilya?" the boy said with a mad grin.

"He may be fast, but whether he can fight or not is an entirely different story Vermilion. So far, I'm not attracted to him at all brother," Vermilya said sounding bored.

 _"Ugh. This is a waste of my time. Why do they have to cause trouble in Lady Clair's town?"_ Blood thought with a look of annoyance as Vermilion aimed his shotgun again. _"Doesn't he know that type of gun has a limited range? It won't reach me,"_ he thought noticing Vermilya overhead with her ax, playing the same note, but Blood didn't move this time. Instead, he looked up and watched as the ax tried to split his skull in half, but the attempt was thwarted by a blade blocking the attack, making Blood smile. Vermilya looked confused then out of nowhere, Violet appeared right in front of her and delivered a strong punch to Vermilya's jaw, knocking her back to Vermilion who assisted his sister before noticing three Vorpal Swords nearby that instantly exploded.

"Thanks for the assist. I normally don't pick fights with C-Listers, but you know, Lady Clair's orders," Blood said to Remus and Violet who stood by his side.

"Just count yourself lucky I saw you and Remus was here. He teleported us to your location in the niche of time." She and Remus kept their eyes on the smoke the explosion, waiting to see their opponents' next move.

"Who are they?" Violet asked while they waited.

"The girl's name is Vermiliya and that is Vermilion, her twin brother. They're known as the Vermilion Twins, a two-person team of mercenaries, but when they're bored they look for fights against strong opponents, willing participants or not."

"I guess you fall in the category of not," she jested and it made Blood grin in agreement.

The smoke cleared and the siblings were up and ready to brawl. "They might be worthy opponents Vermilya." Vermilion was itching for a fight.

His sister held her jaw with one hand then looked at Violet with captivation. "Yes, especially the girl, she'll be wonderful," she said seductively then licked her lips in a very suggestive way. Violet seemed indifferent about her comment as she focused on the battle.

Vermilya charged forward, aiming for Violet, who jumped back while Remus dealt with Vermilion by teleporting right in front of him. Shotgun in his face, Remus didn't flinch, but he took hold of the gun and teleported away with the weapon, leaving Vermilion empty-handed. "My shotgun!" Vermilion stood there dumbfounded like he couldn't function without his shotgun in his hands and it seemed true as Blood flew toward him with his fist reeled back then punched him square in the face, knocking him into the building behind him and rendering Vermilion unconscious.

Violet had danced around Vermilya and her wild predictable swings with such ease she could do it with her eyes closed. She placed a knife between them and an earth pillar appeared, blocking Violet from her attacks and view, but Vermilya powered through by smashing the earth wall to pieces, but she halted her onslaught when she couldn't see Violet anywhere. She scanned the area unable to detect her, but unknown to her, Violet activated Invisibility to remain unseen as she stood right in front of her opponent.

 _"Blood is right, this is beneath me as well,"_ Violet took two more Vorpal Swords and jabbing them in Vermilya's stomach. They didn't stab the mercenary because of her aura, but when they made contact with the unsuspecting foe, they shocked Vermiliya for a while until her aura broke and immobilized her.

The twins were handcuffed and on their knees in defeat. Blood hovered over them while he waited for the cops to pickup them up. Meanwhile, Violet watched Remus play with Vermilion's shotgun. "Can I keep this?" he asked Blood rather than the original owner. "I think Silver will like it now that all his old spoils are gone." Blood just gave him a nod and Violet grinned while Vermilion shouted in disapproval until Blood gagged him.

"It seems you have everything under control, we'll be going now," Violet said already walking away with Remus in tow.

"Wait!" Vermilya shouted gaining their attention. "I never fought someone with such skill and precision before. I think I've fallen for you," the female mercenary said enamored while her brother was trying to squirm his way to freedom and Blood raised an eyebrow. Violet said nothing then left like she didn't hear her.

"What does fallen for you mean? I didn't see you trip her or anything," Remus asked and Violet sighed, she didn't feel like explaining this to him.

"I'll... tell you some other time."

 **Setting: VRSZ Base**

After their business at the bank, they made it back to their home only to see a small crowd in front of it. Violet also took note that the crowd consisted entirely of women who seemed to be fawning over something. She looked over to where they were looking and understood why they were here. Zelts has taken it upon himself to scan the house for any repairs, even though it was a beautiful home, Clair has never used it so the outside needed some cleaning and the roof a little repairing, and he did this in a white tank top that showed off his muscular physique for everyone to see. His stature did affect Violet when they first lived together, making her fluster and be uncomfortable around him, but she got accustomed to his presence and was immune to it, but the female residence weren't blessed with her resilience. The part Violet or Silver couldn't believe was that Zelts was completely oblivious of the effect he has on women. Remus they could understand, but Zelts was nineteen, he could not be that unaware.

Zelts got to the roof and started replacing shingles, too focused on his work to notice the crowd grow little by little. Being on the roof combined with the heat of the desert, Zelts took of his tank top to cool off and it riled the women even further. Violet rolled her eyes and grabbed Remus by the arm to guide him through Zelts' fans until she saw someone she knew.

"Clair?"

"Hello Wallflower, Remus," she said then looked back at the house. "I'm glad to see this place is in good hands. How has your new home treated you?" she asked not looking at her.

"It's great, new home, but same old, same old. What about you? I know overseeing the reconstruction takes up a lot of your time."

"Oh it's not as bad as before. Sterling and Onyx have volunteered to help so I can have a break every now and then, like right now," she answered and Violet found an opportune moment to tease her unteaseable friend.

"Sooooo you're spending your break eyeing Zelts huh?" she asked impishly and Clair froze. Her face was flushed, but it could've been the heat mixed with the crowd because Violet's face was the same.

"...Right, I'll be going now, I have to review a report of Bianca's training," she said before working he way through the crowd and Violet smiled, seeing she struck a blow against the impregnable Clair.

Violet pushed her way through the crowd into the small yard then entered their home with Remus. She saw Silver laying on the couch looking rather annoyed, he wouldn't admit it but he was a little jealous of the attention Zelts receives from the opposite sex. "Hey guys, how was the haul?" he asked not looking at them. "Good, we scored a lot of cash at the casino and-" Remus dropped the shotgun in Silver's lap when Violet was speaking. "What's this?" he asked. "Spoils of battle." Remus answered and Silver grinned a little before placing it into one of the spaces on the large bookcase.

Zelts entered the house, shirtless, with the sound of disappointing groans coming from outside. "Repairs are done, also there were a bunch of people outside. Was something going on?" he asked and it made him seem more innocent than Remus.

"Don't worry about it," Violet said as she rested on the couch between Silver and Remus while Zelts went to the bathroom to shower the sweat off. Looking at her boys, it was just like the good old days and it made her smile. She placed her arms around Silver's and Remus' shoulders with the Silver looking at her confused at first, but didn't mind the camaraderie as he grinned. Remus didn't mind at all as he laid back and Violet moved her hand and placed it on his head.

"We need more peaceful days like this," she said softly before closing her eyes and drifting off to her wonderland. Unknown to them, a new threat was coming to Fortuna and with it, a horde of Grimm and the secret of another member.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Violet carries her Vorpal Swords in a utility waist bag, but they aren't piled on each other. Instead she has them assorted in a system so she doesn't pull out the wrong one by accident.**

 **Vermilion and Vermilya's names are based on the color Vermilion. The sister is a much better fighter than her twin brother and has a habit of falling in love with strong opponents regardless of gender because she is only attracted to strength. If she defeats a strong opponent, sometimes she will take them captive to be used for her own amusement. Vermilion loves his shotgun more than any other weapon. He considers it the greatest weapon to ever be invented. This trait derives from Sarge from RvB, one of my favorite characters.**

 **Libera is the Roman goddess of freedom, wine, and fertility. In Fortuna, Libera is known for its freedom in a more perverse way because it is known as a hang out for criminals and the more unsavory characters residing there. Libera is the feminine form of Liber, a Roman god with the same status as Libera. In Fortuna there is a famous wine spot called Liber. There is a mythological triad between Liber, Libera, and Ceres, all places in Fortuna.**


	18. My Fellow Faunus

**Setting: Desert**

There were multiple Grimm outside the city, wandering around too close for people to enter or leave, so it was evident that a job was placed to deal with the dark mass, luckily someone answered the call. A wave of earth split the group of Beowolves down the middle and running on top of it was Cerise throwing Runaways on both sides, blowing up Grimm on each side of the divide. At the end of the wave was a Deathstalker ready to impale the girl, but she threw some more bombs at it. The explosion did injure it, but not enough to stop the creature from continuing its attack by trying to stab her with its stinger. Cerise activated Shields and create a dome shield around herself to successfully block the Grimm's sharp appendage, but something was falling from above. It landed directly onto the Deathstalker's back and smashed through both the armor and the body, successfully killing it. On its back was Zelts with the Wings of Icarus, crushing the Grimm.

Cerise got rid of her shield then turned around to see her other teammates fight the Beowolves. Loden bowled through Grimm after Grimm with World Splitter, easily crushing them with the waves of earth and burying them in miniature landslides on one side of the wall while Sapphire was spinning like a ballerina with her cables freely moving around as they whipped and lashed at any unfortunate Grimm in her proximity. There was one very unfortunate Beowolf that Sapphire snagged with her Spinnerets and used it like a puppet to attack its brethren until it died of exhaustion. Sapphire may not have finished as fast as Loden, but she had loads of fun. Zelts assisted Cerise in finishing off the remaining threat. She threw her Runaways and Zelts used his wind to help them fly farther across the field to hit far away foes. She also gave Zelts a few in order to use Conversion to give him a boost. Team CLSH and Zelts completely eliminated the Grimm with zero casualties, successful in their job.

"Good job everyone." Zelts complimented with a smile and it was infectious.

"Thank you sir," Loden said while bowing and Zelts could only let her finish her bow. He told her before she doesn't have to do this but she insisted as a sign of respect.

"Thanks again for substituting for Hazel, the Hive needed serious repairs after our fight with Greyhound so she's at Onyx's place getting it fixed and upgraded," Cerise explained to her senior.

"No problem, I haven't train you guys in while, speaking of which, how is it being students at an actual academy?" he asked curious.

"Not bad, but learning from you guys is more fun," Sapphire said with her arms behind her back.

"That's because Team VRSZ doesn't give us papers to write." Cerise's comment was a jab at Sapphire for being unenthusiastic about doing things besides fighting and the blue haired girl glared at her friend.

"True, but academies can teach you things we can't. It's best to stay in school."

"You're right sir, we'll continue with studies," Loden said with her respectful tone.

They were ready to leave when Loden saw something in the air. "What's that?" She pointed at some kind of unidentified flying object coming from behind. Everyone looked trying to discern what it was but all they could tell is it was small and had wings.

"I found you!" the unknown object said as it landed on the wall of earth and they could see it was a man. He had a short brown mohawk, visors over his eyes, a pair of tan pants and he wore an exo-suit that sported mechanical wings on his arms with talons beneath his shoes and claws of his hands. "I've been waiting to get revenge on you and your team!"

The man got everyone's attention from his perch, but his audience looked at him confused. "We didn't do anything to you, we don't even know who you are," Cerise said on behalf of her team.

"Not you guys, him and his team!" He pointed at Zelts who was still confused.

"Me? I don't know who you are either," he said trying to diffuse the situation, but the man looked even angrier than before.

"What?! How could you not remember me? You punched me in the face?!" the man shouted pointing at his face for emphasis but Zelts shook his head.

"That doesn't help narrow the list." he said and Sapphire whispered 'badass' to her teammates.

The man was grinding his teeth and his talons dug into the rock. "My name is BUFF!" he screamed flying straight toward Zelts. "I'll carve it into your skin with my Griffon mode exo-suit so you won't forget!"

Zelts split his shield into wingblades and blasted Buff away and he fell over the other side of the rock.

"He seems to know you. Are you sure he isn't familiar?" Sapphire asked Zelts. He thought long and hard trying to remember anything about Buff, but nothing surfaced, like he wasn't that memorable.

"Nope, but this is a good time for you three to do some 'extra credit.' Take him down as a team," he said as Buff flew high in the air then rocketed right for the group to fight them.

 **Setting: Onyx Workshop**

Hazel and Onyx were in Onyx's workshop, fixing and upgrading her drones and her Hive. Because this process required a lot time, Onyx closed his shop for the day so they could finish this project, but if he was being honest with himself, Onyx closed down so he could have some alone time with Hazel, the young faunus had a weakness for girls and it was obvious to most people. Hazel was using his tools to give her Hive backpack a healing unit so it would repair the drones inside while giving the drones a stronger alloy to make them more durable than before. As she worked Onyx stared at her silently, completely captivated while trying to think of something to say to her.

"Um...uh-uh." The young boy failed miserably trying to speak to the girl.

"Hm?" She gave Onyx her attention, but the boy couldn't say anything coherent. "Are you okay? You not feeling well?" Hazel asked placing her hand on his shoulder which made his babbling worse. "Maybe I should come at a better time." Hazel was getting up to leave. The poor boy tried to convince her to stay, but to no avail on his part, it wasn't until someone entered the shop that made Hazel stop in her tracks.

"Hey Onyx you here?" Blood called out for the young faunus, walking past the counter then into his workshop where he spotted the two. "Oh, you are here. Lady Clair sent me to retrieve your schematics for the new buildings."

The young faunus who quickly shuffled through paper until he found what he was looking for. Meanwhile, Hazel was staring at Blood with infatuated eyes while he wasn't paying attention to her. Team CLSH met Blood in the aftermath of the Greyhound incident and they all developed a crush on the handsome man. Hazel especially because the man was not a man, but a faunus, one that proudly showed off his animalistic traits without fear of persecution from humans, something she couldn't overcome.

"H-heee-um...hi Blood," she squeaked unable to look the faunus she admired in the eye.

Blood looked her way and her behavior was the same as Onyx's when he looked at her. "Oh... Hazel, right?" he asked and she nodded. "So you're here, makes sense why Onyx closed early," he commented slyly.

"Huh?" She did not understand what he meant, but the younger male did. Onyx rushed over with the papers and placed them in Blood's hands then pushed him out to the front door at the front desk.

"It was great for you to stop by, but I know my cousin needs those so I'm sorry you have to go," Onyx said rather quickly while pushing Blood out, unfortunately, the bat faunus used his wings to keep himself pinned to the workshop's door, making Onyx's pushing futile.

"Now now, I'm in no rush. The reconstruction project is actually progressing faster than we anticipated so killing time is big deal." He smiled, teasing the young boy who wanted to be alone with a girl.

Hazel paid more attention to Blood's magnificent wings. "Wow," she said and they heard her and she reeled back. "I-I-I didn't mean..." she mumbled, but Blood smiled.

"Thank you, I like them too," Blood said kindly.

"I'd be cool too if I had wings," Onyx grumbled silently to himself while holding his tail.

"I don't really see many faunus who are brave enough to walk around with such, appendages, out for everyone to see." Hazel was flushed now that she actually said it in front of him.

"I hardly count myself brave. A lot of people have changed their views on faunus, but there are still those who harbor resentment. The three of us just have to be strong." His reassuring words sent a chill down Hazel's spin. Onyx nodded in agreement but stopped remembering what he said.

"Three of us?" he repeated then looked at Hazel.

"H-h-how did you? Who told you?!" She was starting to sound frantic with every passing moment.

Blood and Onyx approached her to try and calm her down but she backed away as if their touch was poison. "Who told you?! It was Remus wasn't it? He promised-" she shouted trying to sound demanding, but the hoarseness in her voice betrayed her and the fact she was on the verge of tears didn't help either. She fell to her knees feeling too weak to stand.

"No one did. No one told me! I... I just knew, I can tell the difference, but... I'm sorry, I didn't know you kept it a secret." Blood felt guilty for causing the girl discomfort. Onyx looked at Hazel confused, he didn't know she was a faunus, he couldn't tell. Scanning Hazel, he wasn't able to see anything that would label her a faunus, but he had to leave it to the more experienced faunus to assess the situation.

Blood wanted to calm her down so he did the same thing he did when he was a child; he walked over till he was next to her, opened his wings around her, and covered the both of them, like children who hid under their blanket to protect themselves from the terrors of night. His method proved effective as Hazel was calming down as she took deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, I truly didn't know you kept it a secret. I hope you can forgive me," Blood said getting down on one knee, bowing his head till he was eye level with the girl.

Hazel couldn't believe a man of his caliber was bowing before her. She was no longer upset, but she didn't feel happy either, Hazel just wanted Blood to stop bowing. "Please stop, it's okay. I mean, I can't help it if you noticed and my response could've been better, but... I've had 'experiences' in the past that makes me a little more cautious than most," she said placing her hand as close to her back as possible, trying to feel the nonexistent wings she used to have.

"They took your wings," he said and it alarmed her how perceptive he was.

"Yeah, when I was younger I lived in a town in Haven where the humans were not as open-minded as I liked." Hazel began her tale and unbeknownst to the two individuals surrounded by a pair of large wings, Onyx was on the other side listening since he was excluded from the drama.

"When they learned what I really was they- they burned my wings off," she said with difficulty. It was not a topic or memory Hazel liked to discuss but she realized she needed to in order to overcome it.

"I'm so sorry." It was the only thing Blood could say. He couldn't share her experience, but he understands her feelings, the thought of someone ripping off his wings scared him to death.

"I ran away and it led me here to Fortuna, where I met my team, my friends, who accept me despite being a faunus. I'm happy here." She finally smiled and it made bBlood smile as well.

Blood retracted his wings and brought them back to their usual form of a cowl. They looked at Onyx, who was crouched down, obviously eavesdropping. The boy didn't know how he could explain himself so he didn't, he decided to support Hazel so she wouldn't be mad.

"Um... Some members of my family weren't happy about a faunus sharing their blood and it made me feel so inferior, but my cousin, Clair, accepted me and made me feel like I really had a family. So I know how you feel." His tale did succeed making the others smile.

"Thank you Blood, Onyx, you guys made me feel a lot better." she said relieved as she got up. "Forgive me Onyx, but maybe we can work on the Hive tomorrow."

"Sure, no problem," he said feeling good now that he bonded with the faunus girl.

"If you're leaving I can accompany you until we reach Concordia," Blood offered and she accepted. The two left Onyx's workshop with the young boy thinking of ways he can improve the Hive for his new friend and crush.

 **Setting: VRSZ Base**

Zelts opened the front door and walked to the kitchen to get a drink of water. Violet was sitting on the sofa reading a comic book before watching Zelts go to the kitchen where Silver was making dinner. "Hey man, playtime with the girls was fun?" Silver asked not taking his eyes off the food.

"They continue to impress me, also, we were attacked by someone."

"Who?" Violet asked but he could only shrug.

"I don't know, some guy wearing metal armor, said he knew us and his name was Buff." Violet and Silver couldn't recall anyone by the name or description.

"Don't worry about it, CLSH took care of him easily, though he swore vengeance on them, but he doesn't seem like a real threat. If anything, he'll be a good practice dummy for them," Zelts said before drinking from a bottle of water.

"Eh, if you say so," Violet said bringing her attention back to her book.

"Alright, dinner's ready. Someone tell Remus to come down here," Silver said setting the island table for dinner.

Outside the VRSZ base was a man standing on top of an adjacent building. In one hand he held binoculars to spy while he had Team VRSZ's bounty posters gripped in the other. He looked at Silver, then Remus, then Violet with interest. "He's gained some new allies. Hunting him will be more thrilling than I originally anticipated," he said feeling thrilled. The man turned his focus to Zelts then made a horrid smirk.

"Jasper wants his gold back and it looks like he'll be getting a few more trinkets as well."


	19. A Change In The Wind

**Setting: VRSZ Base**

Violet sat on the sofa with Zelts asking him about his past, but if you asked for Zelts point of view, he would say he was cornered by Violet who was interrogating him for information. She wasn't glaring at him or leering him into submission, it was a normal stare that was filled with curiosity and Zelts couldn't ignore it, even if he tried to look away, it pulled him back to face.

"Zelts."

"Y-Yes?"

"Did we not make a promise to talk about our pasts together?" she asked tilting her head trying to appear innocent.

"We did," he answered though he felt this was a trap.

"Then why haven't you told me anymore about yours? I told you mine, but you've given me only... scraps of your past."

"...It's not something I like to look back on, not a lot of good things happened back then so it's always been hard to talk about those times." Zelts was upset with himself that he can't tell a friend, especially one that was opening up about her own past in order to better understand him. He let out a breath and started to unveil his past. "You're right, you're right. We made a deal, you told me about your past and to be honest I find yours a little terrifying, but like I promised, I'll tell you mine, right now." Those were the words Violet wanted to hear. She sat up on the couch, Indian style, giving Zelts her full attention. He couldn't disappoint her now that he saw her like this.

"As a kid I was born into an average family as an only child with a loving mom and dad. There wasn't much going on, but we loved it nonetheless, but that all changed when I was twelve. One day, I went out for a walk in a nearby woods and the next thing I knew, I'm snagged in a net then hoisted me up in the air till I was dangling from a tree branch. Being just a kid at the time, I panicked and screamed for help, except the person who heard my plea was the one who set up the trap in the first place. The man cut me down, but kidnapped me from my family whom I never saw again. I was taken to... a place where unfortunate souls were forced to fight each other to the death."

"Zelts, I had no idea. I-I'm so sorry for pressing you about this, please, you can stop if you want." Violet was regretting her boldness for wanting to know more about him. Zelts waved his hand in the air to dissuade her from any such thoughts.

"No, I've been keeping this from you for so long that it needs to be said."

"For the past five years I've been fighting and surviving all for the entertainment of the twisted audience that enjoyed that morbid show and for the man who created it, Jasper, who profits from our battles by having the audience gamble on the victor and over the years, I became his prize fighter. Not many... contenders survive many battles, mostly three if their lucky, but somehow I made it through five years worth of them, but most times it wasn't something I was happy about." His last words confused Violet so he knew an explanation was necessary.

"Somehow, I was able to make friends with the other children taken against their will. Because of my reputation, a lot of them looked up to me and asked for training and tips in battle. I was more than happy to help keep them alive, but the problem was it didn't. Most, if not all of them, died in battle, even the battles where I was involved in and I still failed to protect them. I was known as the champion and for a time its sole veteran but I was also a failure, I wielded a shield, but couldn't protect anyone."

He tried to speak calmly, but he tilted his head so he was looking at the ground and so his friend couldn't see his shameful face. Violet could understand why he wouldn't want to tell anyone, it was not a happy tale to tell, it may have been worse than hers. She could tell the turmoil was apparent in his words, on his face, so Violet wanted to end this for his sake. "H-how did you get out?" she asked.

"Jasper summoned me to meet him and the hunter about a certain match. The hunter who kidnapped me was named Absinthe and he brought in a captive that came to him for battle and is now a rising star. Jasper wanted us to fight promising to grant me freedom if I come out the victor. At that time I didn't have much to live for so I accepted his terms in order to win my freedom."

"Since you're out I guess you won," she said, but was looking at Zelts for confirmation but he didn't respond immediately.

"I got lucky, that's all I can say," he said looking away from Violet and she knew what that meant.

 _"He's not telling me the whole truth,"_ Violet thought to herself, but felt like asking for more would be pushing it.

"Thanks for sharing, let me grab us some tea." she said getting up to walk into the kitchen.

 **Setting: Desert near Fortuna**

Silver was leaning against Fortuna's border wall, wiping sweat of his forehead as he watched the battle unfold. Remus was in the midst of battle, striking down Beowolves with ease. Silver saw no reason to get himself covered in sand or ruin his friend's fun, so he bowed out of the mission as a sort of gift to Remus, let the kid rampage to his heart's content and he did. No Grimm was spared in the wake of his childlike wrath as he reveled in his joy.

 _"Man this kid is strong,_ Silver thought enjoying the show, but Silver wasn't the only one watching his friend. On top of a building near the border, Absinthe was analyzing his prey to have a better understanding for a possible hunt.

"This kid is weak," Absinthe said as he watched Remus fight.

 _"He fights with no battle plan whatsoever, like a wild beast he fights on pure instincts. I see no difference between him and the Grimm he's fighting,"_ he thought as he continued to observe his target who was pulling several sleek maneuvers. _"He makes up for it with speed and strength but mostly his unpredictability is his greatest asset. Running on pure instincts means he can't be countered easily, he has no style that can be dissected or studied, a problem for some but not for me,"_ he smirked at his own conclusion. _"He could be their strongest asset or their weakest link, an Ace,"_ he thought before turning his attention to Silver who yawned out of boredom.

"This one is a mystery. He wears the mask of a clown, but hides the heart of something more... sinister?" he asked himself unsure of what to make of Silver. As he thought this, Silver swiftly pulled out one of his guns then shot a Beowolf that was in Remus's blind spot then put it back into its holster like nothing happened.

 _"Curious, he promised not to intervene, yet he did so anyway. He'll go against his own words like he never said them. To protect the boy or maybe for his allies. I see, he'll break his own code not for personal gain, but for the well being of his pack. A dangerous character, however, he seems more satisfied working under the command of another than wreaking havoc on his own. A warrior that prefers to hide his ferocious fangs until he deems it necessary, all so it would be easier for the others, the Jack,"_

Absinthe left his vantage point undetected then opened his scroll to look over what he collected. He reviewed what he learned about Violet and it thrilled him. _"She's growing into something formidable. Her mind for combat is incredibly sharp for someone so young, reminds me of myself, meaning she'll be a powerful fighter, with the right tutelage and if she ditched the pups, a true Queen,"_ he thought trying to come with a way to bring Zelts back to Jasper while also satisfying his own motives. _"Jasper can have the Jack, Ace, and the King, but the Queen... I think I'm ready to take on an apprentice. No need for all that raw potential go to waste,"_ he thought before leaving to make plans.

 **Setting: VRSZ Base**

Violet and Zelts were enjoying their time together as they conversed about lighter topics at the island table. The front door was opening and they turned their attention to see their friends return with cash and Silver holding Velocitas Eradico in railgun mode.

"I really love your weapon when it's like this, I feel like I could blow up the whole world with this thing," Silver said as he aimed randomly at stuff in the house and it unsettled Violet and Zelts a little.

"Silver, please give that back to Remus, it we don't need to blow up our new home," Zelts said in Violet's place.

"Relax, I'm sure this thing has a safety, right buddy?"

"...What's a safety?" Remus asked confused and Silver immediately gave it back to the original owner who changed it to sword form.

"All righty then, so we're having tea?" Silver said moving to the kitchen with Remus following behind him.

Team VRSZ enjoyed one last normal day together. A malevolent storm was stirring, ready to envelop them with Zelts located at the eye of the storm.

 **Setting: Fortuna**

It was a new day and Zelts was up earlier than usual, feeling refreshed now that he finally told someone his story. Thinking this was the beginning of a good day, he got out of bed, got dressed, then went out for a morning walk after writing a note to tell his friends what he was doing. As he strolled through the growing town, he smiled and waved at those who passed by. This was one of those day when he wasn't haunted by his past and he was glad.

"Hello Zelts," Absinthe said from behind and Zelts felt his joy was twisted and turned to misery. He turned to see the hunter leaning against a wall with his arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face.

"Why are you here? Zelts said displaying an emotion he has never expressed in a long time, fear.

"I must say, I'm very surprised to find you here, or to be more accurate, I'm surprised to find you alive. Could've sworn you were blown to bits, but I digress." Zelts felt his hand tremble as the man spoke. It was fear he learned years ago and it seems he has yet to overcome it.

"Come with me, it's time you return home," the hunter said ready to guide the young man who was reluctant. Seeing his small sign of defiance, Absinthe tugged on his hunter's knife and Zelts flinched, something he has never done in the presence of his team. "Do you really think you can beat me?" he said in a serious tone ready to fight if need be.

Zelts has never fought Absinthe in a real fight. In their previous encounters, Absinthe captured, kidnapped him, bullied him, disciplined him in Jasper's steed, and installed fear into the little boy. That fear was still somewhere in the young man as he felt like he couldn't beat the hunter so Zelts surrendered quietly as he followed the man through the streets to a car that was clearly out of place in Fortuna. It was black, sleek, and gave off a feeling of despair.

"Something I bought with my earnings. High level bounties pay very well," Absinthe said with pride, but Zelts didn't see it the same way.

"Along with your side job of kidnapping children," Zelts commented, but said it as an insult. His words did nothing to the other man as they entered the vehicle and drove out of Fortuna.

 **Setting: VRSZ Base**

The second person to wake up was Violet, who walked downstairs into the kitchen to make herself some tea. While doing so, she found Zelts's note that said he left early so she paid his absence no mind.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Absinthe is an alcoholic beverage with a natural green color. It is commonly referred to in historical literature as the green fairy. It is derived from the flowers and leaves of Artemisia absinthium which comes from the Latin name Artemis, ancient Greek goddess of the hunt, appropriate for Absinthe with his line of work.**

 **A description of Absinthe was never given in the chapter. He is a tall man with a muscular build and a bald head which is covered by a dark grey beret. He wears a black shirt underneath a camouflage pattern tactical vest with multiple small compartments holding hidden gear to help with his hunts. He wears forest green military cargo pants and black boots. He also has a sheath for his large mechanical hunter's knife on his leg similar to Violet's sheaths for her two daggers.**

 **Absinthe categorizes his hunts with playing cards with the highest being either King or Ace and the lowest being Two. He categorized Violet as Queen because she's a girl and knows that Zelts is stronger in terms of strength, but believes Violet is more useful as an apprentice.**

 **Like the other members, Zelts was just an average kid that unfortunately got wrapped up in an unfortunate situation. Out of all the characters I created so far, he is my favorite.**


	20. Welcome Back

**Setting: Unknown**

For nine hours, Absinthe drove roughly through the sands of the desert. As Zelts looked out the window in the back seat, he noticed there was no sign of life for miles, well, no sentient life. Grimm were coming into view and their numbers increased the more they drove forward making seem like they were in a black abyss.

The car continued on a more vacant path till they swerved off course to a massive boulder in the middle of the desert with other rocks surrounding it. There was nothing special or peculiar about the rock, nothing set it apart from the landscape, but they stopped right in front of it. Neither of them thought this was odd because they knew the deal about what happens next. Absinthe pressed a button on the dashboard of his car and the ground below them shook then descended beneath the sands. Their foothold proved to be a lift that was taking them to a large underground cavern where people, shops, and a massive area could be found. Everything about this setting seemed out of the ordinary but the thing that made an impression was the fact that all of the people were wearing masquerade masks to conceal their identities.

"Welcome back to Never-End, Zelts," Absinthe mocked. Zelts looked defeated, there was no fire behind his eyes.

Zelts and Absinthe got out of the car and Absinthe brought rope to tie Zelts' hands together, but he raised his hands to stop his idea.

"That won't be necessary," Zelts said with no emotions as he followed the hunter through the less populated streets to avoid the public eye.

"Can't have people causing a stir when they see you. After all, you're a legend here, not that long ago you were a top tier champion, that is, until you _died_."

They were both silent as they made it to a metal door before the older man opened it, revealing prisons made using the cavern's natural rock formations and steel doors to keep those inside captive. They didn't move when the rust of the door ringed throughout the dungeon alerting them of a new presence. Zelts has seen this before, those who have given up on life, ready to accept death, a look almost similar to the one he held back then and the one holds now.

"Don't worry about these lost children, we have a secluded area for the prodigal son, but first _he_ wants to see you," Absinthe said, but Zelts knew the drill long before they arrived and he knew they wanted him to participate again, something he didn't think he could fight against this time.

They entered an elevator at the other side of the dungeon and rode it to the top floor which led to a long hallway. As they walked down, Zelts felt like his body was on fire, but he didn't know what lit it; anger, fear or anxiety, either way, he wasn't ready to face the source of his turmoil, but he had no choice as Absinthe opened the door. The room was a very lavish office with a beautiful rug, several potted trees that don't belong in the desert, and a marvelous fireplace that lit the room and provided warmth that felt very welcoming. There was a large wooden desk with a chair behind it and two chairs in front of it.

Sitting in the desk chair was a man with a book in his hand. His face could not be seen as it was hiding behind the book that captured this man's full attention, but he had burgundy hair that reached to his shoulders and his hand had an assortment of gaudy rings on it. He wore a dark red dress shirt with a rusty red cravat with a jewel in the middle that looked like a bloodstone. He wore dark brown pants with a belt, but his shirt wasn't tucked in so it was hard to see and brown dress shoes that were black at the tip. The most eye-catching thing about him was the fact he had one arm, his right arm was gone leaving the sleeve of the shirt to just dangle and flutter when he moves.

"Ahem, your guest is here," Absinthe said breaking the man's concentration.

He glanced at them then set his book down, revealing his orange eyes and devious smile. "Zelts, it has been too long," the man said with sincere insincerity.

"Jasper," Zelts acknowledged as the man got up and walked to stand on the other side of his desk with his arm up like he was making a grand show.

"Welcome back to Never-End," he said theatrically but received no response from the other two occupants of the room. "I'm glad to know not only is one of my prized fighters alive, but has also returned home. I hope you enjoyed your vacation while it lasted because we have plans for you. The triumphant return of Zelts the Hero, or to be more accurate, Fallen Hero of Never-End. Our guests will be more than happy to see you again, wouldn't you agree?" Jasper asked sarcastically and Zelts wasn't going to indulge in his game so he remained silent as he stared at the man repulsively, but it didn't stop the one armed man from smiling.

"But I must say, the other contenders, the ones you've grown fond of before you left, all of them have met their untimely demise, so you won't be seeing any familiar faces." Jasper's comment angered Zelts, but he calmed himself when Absinthe noticed and placed his hand on his weapon to stop the young man from any reckless actions.

"Although," Jasper said, looking away from Zelts and to a window that showed the empty coliseum where all fights were held. "There is one left, one still holds your memory fondly in her heart." When Jasper indicated it was a girl, Zelts knew who he was talking about and looked shocked. "Your death gave her a reason to keep fighting and now she is the second strongest fighter at my disposal. I believe you named her... Lily? I prefer to use her warrior name, Tigress."

"So that's your game? To have the two of us each other to the death?" Zelts asked, but Jasper feigned shock at his words.

"Oh dear, is that how low you think of me? I may force people to fight to the death for the amusement of others, but I am no ghoul." Zelts truly hated this man.

"I would never let two people who care so deeply for each other kill another, instead I plan to finish what was started all those months ago. A rematch against the one who... supposedly killed you. It will be a grand spectacle for all to enjoy, I just hope a different outcome occurs this time, no more running away, hero." Zelts stared him down in anger, but he felt a deep pit in his stomach. If he had to fight the same monster again, he will die this time.

"Now I must be getting back to my work. Preparations must be made, the fighting will begin in a few days and after that will be your fight. Absinthe," Jasper gave the hunter a large sum of money. "Please take Zelts to his private quarter, he'll stay there till I say otherwise," he ordered and Absinthe complied, leading the boy out of the office and back to the elevator.

Zelts was placed into a cell with no other cells around and left there. He remained silent the entire time he was there. _"Time repeats itself, it's like I never left. Vi, Remus, Silver, Lily, I'm sorry, I don't think I'll be seeing any of you anytime soon. Goodbye,"_

 **Setting: Jasper's Office**

Jasper returned to reading his book until he saw Absinthe enter but he didn't summon him. "Yes?" he asked not taking his eyes off the page he was reading.

"I wish to speak to you about a matter that will benefit the both of us," Absinthe said treating this as a business meeting.

"Do tell."

"When I found Zelts, I learned that he gained some new companions, three individuals who can prove to be useful. With your permission, I'd like to capture them and bring them two of them into your custody, they will more than likely bring more excitement to your battles."

"Two? And the other one?" Jasper asked more interested about the one Absinthe left out.

"I found her role to be better suited elsewhere," Absinthe said leaving his words up in the air for anyone to guess what he meant, but Jasper knew him for a long time so he understood what he meant.

"Ahh, so you've finally chosen an apprentice after all this time, congratulations," Jasper said truly happy but Absinthe remained stoic.

"I'm glad you are eager to find an apprentice to carry your legacy, after all, neither of us are getting any younger," Jasper joked and Absinthe still remained stoic. "Go my friend, collect my new players and your future protege. I'd to see what they can bring to the table," Jasper ordered and Absinthe left with one thought in mind.

 _"We are not friends, this is just business,"_

The hunter studied the makeshift notes he made from observing Team VRSZ for the past few days and made preparations for his hunt tomorrow.

 **Setting: Never-End Rock**

Absinthe used the lift to return to the desert. He rode his car back to its previous destination, Fortuna. The rocks and boulders surrounding the massive one created a barrier between him and the Grimm, giving him space to enter and leave through the safest route. On his way back to Fortuna, he contemplated what kind of person Violet will be when he approaches her or if she'll willingly comply or if he'll have to force her into apprenticeship. Something unexpected came into view as he looked ahead and saw something both surprising and promising. In the distance were the targets he was sent to capture.

Around the rocky area was Violet, Silver, and Remus huddled together and looking fatigued. They were all looking at Violet's scroll, but that stopped when Violet jerked her head up, sensing his presence then stared straight ahead, seeing Absinthe's car. She alerted the others to be on guard against him and it made him smile.

"Yes, to make it this far, she is unbelievable. I will not allow such ability to go to waste," he said with a crooked smile as he hit the gas and tried a scare tactic by pretending to run them over.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Jasper is named after the mineral which is usually red, yellow, or brown in color.**

 **Never-End was founded by Jasper and he has called on Absinthe's services to help 'recruit' new contenders. After all these years he considers Absinthe a friend but the feeling isn't mutual.**

 **This half will feature several people like Absinthe that are too strong for VRSZ to handle.**

 **Never-End is a reference to Neverland, a place where children never grow up whereas Never-End is a place where children and young adults fight for the amusement of others for the rest of their lives or until they die. Zelts actually coined the name in his younger years when Jasper asked him how he was enjoying his stay.**

 **Jasper is a reference to Captain Hook but instead of a hook he doesn't have an arm. Absinthe is his right-hand man and paid enforcer so he could be considered Jasper's hook.**


	21. Finding A Friend

**Setting: VRSZ Base**

 **Time: The Day Absinthe Took Zelts**

It has been two hours since Violet read Zelts's note that he went out for a walk and she was getting concerned. She sat at the island table lost in her thoughts, not noticing the plate of food in front of her.

"Vi, Violet... VI!" Silver shouted trying to snap her out of her trance and it worked.

"Hm...uh, what? Oh, thanks Silver." Violet started to eat her food, but with less vigor than usual and he detected it.

"What's wrong with you? It usually doesn't take you this long to be crabby," Silver jested but it didn't land. Violet didn't respond to his joke as she answered his question.

"Zelts has been gone for a while, I'm worried."

"He can take care of himself. Probably took on a mission or something." Silver tried to satisfy her curiosity but it didn't work.

"If he took a mission he would've text me, he prefers to keep us informed on what he does, unlike someone I know," she said the last part teasingly. His joke from earlier didn't fall on deaf ears.

"Ha ha, cute. If you're that worried call him," Silver said grabbing his own plate.

"I did, three times, no answer."

"Now that is out of the ordinary. If you want, we can look around and ask people if they've seen him." Violet nodded and Silver got up.

"You got it boss. I'll let Remus know."

 **Setting: Moneta**

Like all of her searches, Violet began at Moneta to speak to the man who knew everything that happens in Fortuna, Sterling Vantablack.

"Hello Miss Violet, Mister Remus, Mister Silver, come for a job?" Sterling asked as he set missions on the board using his scroll.

"Actually old man, we wanted to ask you if Zelts came by for a mission or if you heard anything about him." Silver said.

"I'm sorry to say, but he hasn't come in nor did I hear anything about him. If I do see Zelts, I'll let him know you are looking for him," Sterling said wishing them luck before they left.

"Now what?" Silver said aloud and Violet contemplated while Remus tried to think of something as well.

"All I can think of is looking around," Remus said coming up blank, but Violet felt the same.

"True, maybe we can find some clues to help us track him down," Violet suggested and her words made Silver think.

"Say that again," he asked trying to remember something.

"...Maybe we can find some clues and track him down?" She didn't know where he was going, but it looked like he had an idea.

"I totally forgot, we can track him, with the same tracking device you used on me." Silver was proud of his idea but she wasn't following.

"Except, I never put a tracer on Zelts. After that thing with Turquoise I don't really use them anymore."

"Well, I may have... borrowed them to play pranks on Zelts and Remus, know where they were going, plan stuff in advance, that kind of stuff." Violet was not amused by this use of her tracers and to lock them away. "You steal my equipment to make fun of Remus and Zelts?"

"So that means we can track Zel- You make fun of me?!" Remus shouted genuinely surprised by this.

Violet looked at her scroll and pulled up the tracer icon. She found out it was working and the tracer was on the move further into the desert. "Where are you going?" she whispered then realized they weren't going to make it to his location within the day based on where Zelts was and where they are now. "Wherever he's going, we won't make it on foot," Violet told her boys, but suddenly walked to Concordia.

Remus followed suit and so did Silver but he was confused. "Where are you going?"

"To borrow some wheels."

 **Setting: Concordia**

In Concordia, Team VRSZ was recognized as Clair de Lune's special friends, meaning they have more leeway than ordinary citizens. They used the elevator to her office and knocked on the door, but no one answered.

"Maybe she's not in," Silver said, but that didn't stop Violet from barging into her office where they found the Lady of Fortuna, asleep at her desk on top of several documents. Seeing Clair like this instead of mischievous, hard to read, or playful really humanized her in Silver's eyes.

"Huh," was his response and it was enough to stir the young woman from her slumber. She raised her head and one of the documents sticking to her face. Even a little dazed, Clair still looked beautiful.

"Working hard or hardly working?" Violet greeted.

Clair stretched her arms and silently yawned before responding. "Hello Wallflower," she said then looked over to Remus and Silver and smiled at them. "Where's your other boy toy?" she asked with her usual playful tone and it did strike a nerve with Violet. She wasn't comfortable with her friend referring to her male friends as her property.

"Zelts is out of the city and we don't know why. We have his location, but not the means to get there, so-"

"You wish to ask me for a vehicle. That was your plan?"

"Actually, the plan was to ask you for a vehicle while Remus gave you his puppy dog eyes, a sure thing," Silver chimed in and Remus smiled at the use of his name.

"Hehehe, there's no need, if you like, I could loan you one of the vehicles used by my task force. I want it back in one piece okay?"

Violet was grateful. "Thank you so much Clair."

"Follow me," Clair said as she walked with them to Concordia's garage.

"You're taking us because you want to avoid work." Violet stated understanding her friend's game and Clair smiled.

"You got me."

"Uh... Clair," Silver said as they were in the elevator.

"Yes?" Silver scratched the back of his head.

"Um... how's Bianca doing?" he asked and she giggled.

"Bianca's doing very well. She's undergoing training to become a member of my task force, so you probably won't hear from her for a while or Ghost for that matter, I personally made sure he remain home till he felt better."

"Oh, that's good to know." Silver was a little sad that he won't be able to see her.

"Don't worry, we keep in touch and talk so there's nothing to fret about, Silvester," she said teasingly and he sighed in relief.

"Thanks Cla- what did you call me?" Silver said and she giggled.

"Oh nothing Silvester, nothing." Violet made sure to remember that name.

Reaching the garage, they found only one vehicle available, a police truck used for transporting criminals, meaning there was little room in the front which was just a large seat that could barely fit three people.

"Beggars can't be choosers, thanks Clair," Silver said.

"Good luck on your rescue mission VRSZ."

Team VRSZ crammed themselves into the truck with Remus in the middle, Silver on the right, and Violet taking the driver's seat.

"Déjà Vu," Silver said trying to get what little elbow room he can. Violet drove out of the garage with Clair waving them goodbye.

 **Setting: Desert**

VRSZ drove through the desert in the uncomfortable truck while following the tracer on Zelts's person. While Violet focused on driving, Silver was still trying to get comfortable to no avail and it seemed like he was the only one who cared. Violet was driving and Remus was staring out into the vast desert with fascination, like something unexpected was going to pop out and due to circumstances, his happiness pissed off Silver.

"Remus, buddy, do me a favor?" he asked kindly and Remus looked his way. "Sit in the back," Silver said and it broke Violet's concentration.

"What are you doing? We can't have him sit in the back," she said defended her gullible friend.

"Why not, everyone would have more room, more importantly me."

"Except Remus would be in a hot box in the back. He'll be cooked alive back there," she retorted. Remus was innocently looking back and forth between the two as they argued.

"Besides, I need him up front for his semblance. What if something happens and we need to make a quick exit? He's fast enough to respond and he can't use it a room with no windows." Violet said and it shut Silver up.

He grunted and slumped in his seat. "Fine," he grumbled with a sour face that didn't go unnoticed.

"You can sit in the back if you want," Violet suggested and Silver remained quiet.

"I'm confused, am I sitting in the back or not?" Remus asked.

"No one is Remus, just keep an eye out for me." Violet changed from fierce to kind when she spoke to Remus.

 _"He really is an airhead,"_ Silver thought before staring out into the desert.

Three hours past and the situation hasn't changed, except Silver was asleep on Remus's shoulder who didn't seem to mind. Violet looked at her scroll till she stopped the car.

"What's wrong?" Remus asked.

"The signal for the tracer disappeared," Violet said while checking to make sure it wasn't technical difficulties on her scroll.

"Does that mean Zelts is in trouble?"

"No, even if he were dead the tracer wouldn't stop giving a signal," she said more to herself. She looked at Remus who looked sad at the thought of Zelts dead. Violet had to rectify her mistake of speaking so bluntly. "B-but this doesn't mean he's dead. No, no, no, no, no! It could mean something is blocking the signal, so all we have to do is go to where the signal was last detected." It did make him feel better. Silver was still asleep drooling a little on Remus's shoulder.

As time passed, Violet and Remus became very aware of the Grimm roaming the desert and their numbers only increased the further they drove. They were all on guard except for Silver who was still asleep. Because Violet didn't know about the alternative route Absinthe used, she drove into a hornet's nest of Grimm. There were too many to avoid even if she bobbed and weaved around them, she crashed the truck into a large Deathstalker that looked very angry. The Grimm was about to pierce the truck, but Remus teleported both his teammates and himself out of the vehicle. The vehicle was ripped apart by the Grimm and they were behind it. Using the transport as a scapegoat, they left unnoticed.

"Clair is not going to be happy about that," Violet said not liking how to tell her friend about her truck.

Remus was carrying Silver on his back until the young man woke up like nothing happened. "H-huh? Why are holding me? ...And why are we out the car with Grimm around? This a dream?" Silver asked groggy.

From a bird's eye view, the sea of sand was covered by an ocean of black as VRSZ was surrounded by Grimm, weapons armed and backs against one another. "We can't win this," Silver remarked and Violet knew he was right.

"We don't need to win, we just need to get over there." Violet pointed at Never-End Rock.

Multiple Beowolves lunged at them, but they had their weapons drawn. Violet used her daggers to stab and rip them apart, Silver pummeled them with Ceasefire in twin staff then shot them dead in pistol mode and Remus mowing down anything that wasn't his ally. Violet wanted to preserve her arsenal so she stuck with her daggers instead of her throwing knives, Remus stayed vigilant and killed any Grimm that attacked the others from behind. Silver used Gravity to leap high above to shoot them, but was nearly knocked out of the sky by Nevermores and was forced to stay on the ground.

This was going nowhere as there were too many Grimm and they had to stick together with their backs against another. Seeing her moment, Violet ordered Remus to use his semblance to get them over to the rock. He placed a hand on both his teammates and left the area in a puff of blue smoke. With the top of the large rock in site, he was able to get them directly on top of it. The boys used this time to rest for a quick moment while Violet walked over to the ledge to survey the area. She saw that they were right on top of where the signal ended, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The rocky barrier kept most of the Grimm at bay, but nothing that would jam her signal, at least nothing she could see from above.

Remus teleported them back on the ground to survey the area but still found nothing. Under the harsh rays of the sun, they were getting tired really fast so they regroup to see what they came up with but all their efforts were fruitless. Violet was even beginning to doubt herself as she checked her scroll to double check if this was the location, but that went away when she heard the roar of an engine. Everyone looked and saw a black car driving through the sand, heading straight toward them to run them over. They quickly moved out of the way as the vehicle drove past them then stopped a few feet away.

Stepping out of the car was Absinthe with a stern look on his face.

"Impressive."

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Silver has a habit of drooling in his sleep. When he was first introduced he was drooling on Zelts' shoulder.**

 **Clair has spoken with Bianca multiple times and considers her a friend instead of an employee, just like Ghost and Blood. Their on good enough terms for Bianca to reveal Silver's true name and now Violet knows it. Clair is very flirtatious with those she considers close to her, man or woman. This behavior includes physical contact, pet names, coddling, and her friends feeling embarrassed. Her favorite victim is Violet, her best friend.**

 **In physical appearance Clair de Lune is more curvaceous than Violet who has a more lean physical build, but both girls are attractive. According to Clair, Violet is a wild beauty, a fierce, powerful person that's alluring, but seems unreachable by normal standards and Violet doesn't know how pretty she is or denies it. Even Clair admits she finds Violet attractive, in fact, Violet attracts both males and females much to her confusion.**

 **Remus considers the members of team VRSZ to be his closest friends and holds them all in high regard, but holds Violet a little higher. Silver and Zelts recognized this when the boy sides with her on nearly every vote and he usually goes to her for questions about things he doesn't know and more. One day, Silver called him out on this and asked why. Remus worded this wrong and said it was because Violet was 'his first.' This misunderstanding left Silver and Zelts shocked and Violet frantically trying to defend herself until Remus explained he meant she was his first friend ever. Since her relationship with VRSZ started with him, the feeling was mutual.**


	22. Outclassed

**Setting: Never-End Rock**

Absinthe approached Team VRSZ then stopped several feet away. He sized each one of them up then his eyes stayed on Violet who stared back at him.

"Are you the one who took Zelts?" she asked getting right to the point. She already guessed that no one would be in a place like this without reason and maybe he had a connection with Zelts, the car would explain how the tracer moved so fast through the desert.

The hunter could only smirk at how clever she was. "Very good, I'd expect no less. Yes, I took your friend, actually-" Absinthe spoke, but hearing that he took Zelts caused Remus to lunge for him and swing his sword but Absinthe took a step to the side and dodged it like it was nothing. "it's more like I brought him back home." He lifted his leg to give Remus a strong kick that sent him flying back to his teammates. Silver helped him up and Violet continued to stare down her opponent like nothing happened, she didn't want him to see her waver in the slightest.

"Brought him back?" Silver asked as he drew his guns.

"Yes, this place isn't his home, but it's serving as the current location for the time being. He needs to finish what he started months ago." Violet's eyes widened when he said this, remembering what Zelts told her, an organization that kidnapped him and forced him to fight.

 _"This bastard,"_ she thought pulling out Vorpal Swords.

Silver shot several times, Absinthe quickly drew his knife and Violet threw her knives. The hunter used his knife to deflect every bullet then easily reached out and grabbed each Vorpal Sword from the air like it was nothing. He quickly examined them to see what he was working with; Fire, earth, lightning. Not missing a beat, Remus teleported behind him with Silver and Violet coming at him from his left and right. Absinthe threw two Vorpal Swords at Remus, the fire one at his feet forcing him to teleport in a puff of smoke, but his opponent anticipated this and where he was going. He threw the lightning knife directly above him and it hit Remus as soon as he teleported in that direction. The boy wasn't expecting this, so he was caught off guard when the knife hit and electrocuted his body. He teleported away, but Absinthe poured a little more of his aura into the knife so the electric charge was stronger than normal, causing Remus's teleportation to only to go a short distance before falling back to the ground to suffer in agony. With the electricity running through his system and the surprise attack throwing him off, his semblance was out of control as he quickly teleported around the sand with no control over where he was going.

He threw the earth dust at Silver, who used Gravity to jump over rock small wave of earth and easily close the distance. Absinthe moved to Silver and grabbed him before his semblance could deactivate and used his lightened body to toss Silver over his head. Silver managed to land on his feet and changed his guns to escrima staffs, ready for a second round, but his foe was focused on someone else.

Absinthe did a sweeping kick to kick up the sand around him. The particles spread out then stuck to something that couldn't be seen then formed in the shape of a girl. The huntsman grabbed Violet by her invisible throat and lifted her off her feet as she tried to wrestle her way out of his strong grip, but the man's physical strength surpassed hers.

"This is a pathetic display of your abilities. Come now, show me something worthwhile," he taunted as Violet deactivated her semblance but didn't lose her will to fight.

Instead of trying to get out of his grip, she lifted her lower body and wrapped her legs and arms around his arm, locking it, grabbing the hunter's attention, more importantly, away from Silver, who used his semblance to jump high in the air then fall onto his enemy, knees first. The harsh impact hurt the huntsman as Silver hit him in the back, causing him to topple over into the sand and lose his hold on Violet. She recovered quickly and regrouped with Silver over to Remus who finally stopped being shocked and was getting up a little frazzled.

"Surprising, but inadequate," Absinthe said as he got up, barely harmed and Violet was irritated that this wasn't going well.

" **Cloak and Dagger!** " she shouted as she ran with Remus toward Absinthe.

The hunter focused on Violet as he took his knife and slashed at her, but was met with a puff of blue smoke and Remus guarding against his attack with his sword. He tried to break through, but the young teleported again, taking Absinthe with him in the air where he was defenseless. Remus teleported to the ground out of the way of the upcoming assault. " **Thick As Thieves!** "

Silver used **Gravity Bullet** to hit Absinthe. The hunter deflected the shots, but the effect was the same, his body was lightened so he descended at a much slower rate. Silver and Violet stood together under the man then unleashed a flurry of bullets and throwing knives at him. Each knife was enveloped by its corresponding dust element to add extra damage. Absinthe couldn't keep up with every hit so he tucked in his body to protect himself.

"Remus!" Violet shouted and said teammate had his sword in railgun mode. He teleported directly above the huntsman and fired on his back. Absinthe reached for something in one of his jacket's pockets and placed it on his back before the railgun's energy pulse hit and sent him plummeting to the ground. Remus teleported back to his friends' side then all three watched the hunter get back up with a large mass of ice dust on his back and some shards laying around him. Violet saw this and knew what he did.

 _"He unleashed ice dust on his back to absorb most of the damage. This man is too strong, too smart and...he's toying with us,"_ Violet thought, unable to find a light at the end of the tunnel.

"That's more like it. I'd expect no less from you Violet." His words confused the others. Silver and Remus had no idea what connection he has with their leader and Violet didn't now why this man new her name.

"Know him?" Silver asked but Violet shook her head no.

 _"Never met him, but he does know us, meaning he knows how we fight and are abilities, and we don't know what he can do. We're at a great disadvantage,"_ she thought hating this fight more and more.

Absinthe shifted his knife into gun form then reach for some kind of ammunition in another one of his pockets and loaded it into the gun. _"Time to finish this."_ the hunter thought eyeing Remus. _"First, the Ace,"_

He charged right toward them with his gun in hand. Violet thought he was being reckless, but she didn't see a single weak point in his run so she had to make one. " **Cirque du Ciel** "

Remus teleported onto Absinthe's back and once again, teleported him into the sky with Silver following suit using Gravity to reach them. Remus slashed him twice, but Absinthe put up his guard and braced for the attack. Silver was right behind him with his escrima sticks and tried to hit him in the back, but his attack failed as well when the huntsman put his gun away and grabbed the sticks.

Silver's semblance kept them both in the air for a while until Absinthe did something only Silver does when he defeats an enemy, steals their weapon. He yanked Ceasefire out of Silver's hands then gave him a strong kick in the gut. With his strength and Silver's Gravity reducing gravity's effect on himself, Silver fell straight down into the ground and for the first time, **Cirque du Ciel** was disrupted. Wishing to avenge his friend, Remus dived down till he was right on top of him then brought his sword down as hard as he could on the hunter's neck, but Absinthe used the escrima sticks to block the attack and they both fell into the sand. They were at a stalemate, Velocitas Eradico and Ceasefire were clashing with one another as Remus stared at Absinthe with a determined look, but was met with a sneer. The hunter saw his chance and kicked up sand into Remus's eyes to blind him. Then he placed both sticks in one hand then he quickly drew his gun and shot Remus in the neck.

The sneak attack caused Remus to flinch and take a few steps back with his hand over the area Absinthe shot and he rubbed the sand out of his eyes with the other. He felt something there and pulled it out his neck to see it wasn't a regular bullet, but some kind of syringe. Before he could figure out what happened, he felt off balance and whatever energy he had was gone, his body felt heavy and he fell to his knees.

"Hmph, usually one tranquilizer shot is enough," he said aiming to shot him again. "A kid your size, another one might kill you... but nothing ventured nothing gained." Absinthe was ready to fire, but was interrupted by Violet and Silver.

"Remus!" Violet yelled, falling to her knees to be at his side and Silver grabbed Velocitas Eradico, shifted it into its railgun form, and fired fast energy pulses in barrage after barrage in anger, but it failed as Absinthe maneuvered and dodged each one as he got closer and closer.

Before Silver could fire again, the huntsman was already face to face with him and backhanded him which knocked the wind out of him. Silver was unable to stop the hunter from shooting another tranquilizer. It hit Silver in his chest and the effects took over swiftly as he was unconscious when he hit the ground leaving Violet with an tremendously weakened Remus to fend for themselves.

Seeing Silver go down, Violet stood to her feet with her twin daggers to protect her remaining teammate who was unable to stand on his own two feet. Violet didn't know what to do. _"This man's the real thing, a true huntsman, we're not good enough to fight this man. Everything I know he can counter, he's smarter, stronger, more experienced... we're outclassed,"_ she thought but looked to Silver and Remus. _"I'm a leader, their leader, I can't afford to give up now,_ "

Violet felt something quickly pass by her head then she heard Remus groan in pain. She turned around to see another syringe on his shoulder and this time, he went down for good. Violet and Absinthe were the last ones standing, the way Absinthe planned it from the beginning.

"You are quite resourceful young one. Your deception, cunning, stratagems, your mind itself is above that of any huntsman or huntress," Absinthe said transforming his gun back into a knife and he was in a stance for close combat, Violet engaged him and was holding her own but she could tell he was holding back. They continued fighting hand to hand until Absinthe gained the upper hand and elbowed her in the gut, knocking her down a few feet away. "But you still lack proper guidance," he mocked as the girl jumped back on her feet, fighting to keep her boys safe.

Every attack was met with either a knife or air, she wasn't landing a blow. She attacked one more time then spun around to deliver an uppercut with a free hand, but Absinthe moved his head out of the way, but he felt his aura being slashed by something and it surprised him. Violet didn't let this chance slip away as she kicked him in the jaw to knock him back then tossed something in the air then kicked it and that something missed Absinthe's head, but took out his beret. It hit the sand and a knife appeared out of thin air piercing the hat. Absinthe rubbed his head and smiled at Violet.

"Clever girl, your mind is your second greatest strength, the most powerful tool in your arsenal is your willpower, something that cannot be taught, but something that can grow or fade with the passage of time. To have such a force of will at such a young age, what kind of hell did you go through?" he asked as he ripped his beret off the knife and put it in his back pocket. Violet refused to talk as she didn't like revealing her secrets or abilities to her opponents, the notion seemed foolish and self destructive.

"You can go far as a mercenary and I'd like to teach you, as my apprentice."

His words surprised her because this was not how she thought this fight was going to end. "Apprentice?"

"That's right, I've lived as a bounty hunter for most of my life, but that doesn't mean anything if all I know disappears when I die, so I have been looking for someone whom I can pass all my knowledge and I believe you fit that role." Absinthe walked over to Silver's unconscious body.

"And if I say no?" Violet asked. She wasn't going to go anywhere with him no matter his terms.

"I'll kill the ones you love," he said, getting right to the point as he grabbed Silver by the collar of his shirt and placed his knife to his throat. "I can start with your surrogate brothers or go to Fortuna and kill your surrogate sister."

 _"Clair,"_ she thought. Violet didn't like this, but she had no choice if the ones dear to her were at risk. "Fine, just leave them alone." she pleaded, putting her Vorpal Swords away.

Absinthe put his knife back in its sheath and picked up Silver, Remus, then harshly threw them in the back of his car much to Violet's displeasure. Violet got in the passenger seat and looked back to see her boys were still out cold, but weren't harmed any further and for that, she was glad. Absinthe drove back to the rock and pressed the button to the lift, surprising Violet who never thought what she was looking for would be an underground cavern. _"This place is Zelts' hell, this is where we'll find him,"_

Violet kept one eye on Absinthe as she thought of only dark thoughts, mostly about different ways of inflicting him pain. He was right about a few things; Violet was cunning, resourceful, and very deceptive. She wasn't aware of own willpower, but there was one thing he didn't know about her, she was an extortionist. Violet had zero desire to be his apprentice, but he did know things she didn't, so for the time being, she'll allow him to train her so she could be a better fighter and leader for her boys then take him out the first chance she gets. Whether Absinthe can see this coming was a unknown, he was too happy with himself in knowing that he found an apprentice.

"Welcome to Never-End."

Absinthe had Violet stay in a room for guests then he took the other two to Jasper's office while they were still knocked out. Jasper inspected them, their weapons, and Absinthe's written notes about their abilities. "You were right. They'll be a refreshing addition to Never-End. To keep them in check, I'll make them enter as a pair." Jasper was happy with how quick Absinthe brought his new playthings. Absinthe did as Jasper instructed and placed them in a cell for them to stay in before he began to train his new ward.

Zelts was in his prison cell, sitting, waiting to be summoned for his fated fight. He was far away from the dungeons of other contenders, but close enough to the coliseum that the roaring of the crowd still reached his ears. The cheering for one victim to kill another, the pleading to be spared, the cries of those who refused to fight, but were killed either way. Zelts wanted this endless cycle to stop and if he could, he would, but for now, all he could do is wait.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, are you prepared for another high stakes fight?" Jasper announced through a microphone that consumed the arena and the crowd of masked people cheered.

Zelts tried to ignore it but the sound resonated in his cell. Even though Jasper moved from place to place around Remnant, he's surprised no one has found out about this illegal fighting ring with how loud they were being and the fact that the negative emotions of the contenders were attracting the Grimm, making his hideouts even more obvious. But he understood, no one in their right mind would face such a mass of Grimm.

"We have one of our new contenders facing off against a crowd favorite and a veteran of Never-End. She's the strongest female warrior you'll ever see here, give it up for Tigress!" Jasper hyped the crowd that roared even louder than before and Zelts broke his trance when he heard her name.

"Lily," he said happy to know that she was still alive, but sad that she was alive and still forced to fight for the amusement of sadists. He hoped her time here didn't changed the sweet girl he knew before he left.

"Place your bets!" Jasper said before the battle commenced.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Remus' semblance corresponds with his mind, so even if his body is too tired to go on, he can still teleport to move around. However, messing with his head messes with his semblance as well. If he teleports multiple times in a short span of time, he will make himself nauseous and probably throw up. One time late at night, Zelts found him sleepwalking and tried to assist him back into his room, but he teleported randomly through the house with Zelts in tow. Zelts dubbed it 'sleep-porting.'**

 **As a bounty hunter, Absinthe uses his mechanical knife as his primary weapon, but has other tools to help if need be.**

 **Team CLSH and Team VRSZ have each others contact numbers. Cerise badgeres Violet about anything, but she doesn't mind, Loden asks Zelts for advice on being stronger, Hazel sends Silver nice reassuring texts and he enjoys them in silence and secretly sends her cute texts to make her smile. Remus and Sapphire text about anything and everything, but Remus still doesn't fully understand the norms of texting. When Sapphire texts him Lol, he will actually laugh out loud on the spot, scaring those around him.**


	23. Never-End

**Setting: Jasper's Office**

Silver and Remus were sitting in Jasper's office, not having the foggiest idea of what they were doing here. The last thing they remember was waking up in a dungeon and Silver demanding to speak to someone. Absinthe appeared and the two were ready to fight, but the hunter told them that his employer wished to speak with them and that no harm will fall upon them as he opened the door. Silver ordered him to tell them where Violet was and he answered by telling him that she was safe and in a suite for guests. Silver appeared satisfied with that answer, for now, he could tell the man wasn't lying, but it didn't make him any less worried about her. Now they are here, looking at a man who was watching them with rapt attention, but said nothing for the past six minutes.

Remus looked to Silver and vice versa, neither knew what to do so Silver initiated the conversation the only way he knew how. "What the hell do you want?" They were drugged for at least a whole day, maybe more, so he has a right to be a little abrasive. Jasper was not offended by his tone, in fact he smiled.

"Apologies gentlemen, I feel absolutely dreadful that your... 'escort' to Never-End was more violent than it need be."

"Never-End? Is this where Zelts is?" Remus asked and Jasper's eyes widened without them noticing and his smile seemed more devilish.

"Why yes, your friend is here and he has come with one objective in mind, to reclaim his throne," Jasper lied.

"His thro- Zelts is a king?!" Silver knew nothing about Zelts' past, so he had to believe whatever Jasper says and Remus was always gullible, they were perfect for Jasper's manipulation.

"In a manner of speaking, yes and no. Never-End is a place where fighters come and battle to see who is truly the strongest. Zelts has been a participant for several years and has been champion for just as long, that is, until he lost less than a year ago." Jasper pretended to sound a little sad when he mentioned the last part.

"So that's why Zelts came here? I was expecting something more selfless from him." Silver said surprised by his friend's motive.

"He is a gentle soul but has a warrior's pride. When he lost the people couldn't believe it and refused to believe it so rumors spread that took a dive and he was called a coward. These accusations caused my young friend to leave but that only solidified the rumors and his name has been forever tarnished. Zelts came to me for another chance, not to win but to prove to everyone that he isn't afraid. I was more than happy to grant him his wish." Jasper said and Silver felt sympathy for his friend while Remus felt something else that made him tremble.

"So this is why he left. I wished he told us instead of keeping us in the dar-" Silver spoke, but Remus interrupted with the worst he request he has ever made in his life.

"Can I fight in Never-End?!" he asked with hungry eyes. This surprised not only Silver, but Jasper and he was never shaken by anything. "Uh... I beg your pardon?" Jasper asked needing to hear this a second time.

"I want to fight in the tournament to prove I'm the strongest," Remus said a second time and it still confused the other two.

"...Okay." Jasper had no other words. There was only one person in existence who has ever willingly joined Never-End and this boy was the second. _"This couldn't be more ideal,"_ Jasper thought too happy with how things were going.

"You really are a handful you know that." Silver rubbed the back of his head in exasperation. "Violet would kill me if you got hurt sooooo, great, when you want to fight, you fight, looks like my hands are tied, I'll have to assist you so you don't die on me. Sign me up too, Jasper," Silver said leaning back in his seat.

 _"This is the best day ever,"_ Jasper thought feeling as giddy as a school girl.

 **Setting: Never-End Rock**

Absinthe was sitting on the ledge of the massive rock, watching something gradually climb its way up. Violet was on the side of the rock, trying to scale the enormous object of nature using her twin daggers to pierce the earth and climb to the top with difficulty. Absinthe told her to make it to the top for a sparring, he considered this a warm-up.

Violet was having difficulty when she was three quarters of the way there. She was already tired and the bellowing wind carrying sand didn't help. In truth she was afraid of falling, but as long as she played apprentice, her friends were safe so she persevered and made it to the top then collapsed from exhaustion. Absinthe stood up and walked till he was facing her, taking his hunter's knife out of its sheath he got into his fighting stance. "Come."

"You're kidding right? I just finished climbing."

"Life doesn't give you a chance to catch your breath, fights can come at anytime from anywhere. Now come, you're lucky I'm allowing you to initiate." Absinthe said, keeping up his guard. Violet groaned, but ran to him with her daggers in hand.

The two were fighting in close combat. Violet knew he was better than her, but he allowed her to take the offensive in order to improve her skills and it frustrated her, but she had to put her pride aside and gather information.

"Why did you take Zelts?" she asked in the middle of the fight. Not only cold she get some training in, but she can also gather the info she needed to know.

"I learned he was alive and Jasper wanted him back, that's all."

"What's with his fixation on Zelts? He won his freedom and earned his right to leave." Absinthe snickered at her comment.

"Is that what he told you? Funny, because I was there when it happened, I saw your friend fight and lose miserably, but found a chance to slip away. Your friend is a lying coward." Absinthe's words opened up Violet's guard. He grabbed and yanked her arm to put her off balance then delivered a strong punch to her jaw, knocking her off her feet.

The pain stung her face, but she rubbed the injured area and got back up, choosing to fight in silence. _"Zelts...lied? I don't know anything and I have more questions than answers, but it all starts with one. Zelts or Absinthe, which one is telling me the truth?"_ she thought as she fought and actually saw slight improvements in her movement.

 **Setting: Zelts's Cell**

Zelts sat in silence as he heard several fights take place over the last twenty four hours and he was getting a little anxious. Besides the terrible scraps they call food that comes round the clock, it was the closest thing to human interaction he had even if the person bringing it remained silent but it remind him that he wasn't alone. Despite his choice to be here, he still missed his friends and their companionship, and he thought he would see Lily again but that doesn't seem to be the case.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Zelts heard Jasper over the microphone again and it reminded him how he hated hearing his voice. "I'd like to introduce you to a new addition to Never-End."

 _"Is this me? Is it my turn?"_

"I'm sure you'll all be excited, this addition hails from the nearby city of Fortuna-"

 _"Yeah. This has to be me, but where are the guards that are suppose to escort me to the-"_

"Introducing the Blue Flicker and the Silver-Tongued Gunslinger, Remus Cobalt and Silver Synch, our new two-man team!" Jasper shouted and the crowd cheered.

"THE HELL?!" Zelts shouted then ran to the door of his cell banging on it furious. On the other side of the door was his shield lying against the wall out of his reach. "LET! ME! OUT! I demand to speak to Jasper!" Zelts shouted to anyone who could hear him but no one came. His shouting was being cancelled out by the howling of the hyped up spectators.

 **Setting: Never-End Coliseum**

Silver stretched his body and Remus was clearly ready to go as they waited for their opponents. "This is so stupid, I have half a mind to forfeit to teach you not to pick fights. Now that I say that out loud I realize how I sound like a hypocrite," Silver said to himself. He was never one to shy away from a fight and he's known for starting a few.

"That doesn't make sense, you can't function properly with half a mind," Remus said.

"It's an expression dummy."

"And if we keep winning fights, then we might run into Zelts," Remus said and Silver had to admit his logic was sound, something that was rare for the boy.

"...Alright, there's some merit to what you just said. If we meet him, we'll tell him to come home and that's that," Silver concluded, watching as their first opponent entered the ring.

It was a boy about their age, maybe younger, and he was wearing tattered clothing beneath some armor, armor that reminded Silver of the scraps of metal Zelts wore. An arm guard on both arms just like the one Zelts wears on his right arm, metal boots, but dirtier than Zelts'. He also wore a helmet to cover his face and protective metal gauntlets which were holding a greatsword that looked like it could cleave anything.

"How will this new team fair against Cadet, a rookie who was been one a five win hot streak? Place your bets!" he announced and the audience used the device on the arm of their seats to place money on the side of their choosing. Many people voted against Remus and Silver.

"Fight!"

Cadet was very light on his feet despite carrying a massive sword. He made his way to Silver then let out a battle cry as he brought his sword down on Silver who didn't move as Remus teleported between them and blocked the attack with his own blade. Cadet tried to slice through Remus's sword, but neither the weapon or the wielder were giving an inch. Remus was looking at Cadet with a grin on his face, not one of superiority, but one made from having fun. Using quick footwork, Silver got between the two with Ceasefire in escrima mode and began his symphony.

He strck Cadet's ankles, knees, pelvis, ribs, then under the arms in repeated succession and it wore the warrior down as he let go of his massive blade that fell to the ground. Remus jumped in and landed a palm strike right on the helmet and Cadet fell over. Remus and Silver stood above him, sword and guns pointed at him in case he wanted to continue, but he didn't.

"I yield."

The entire arena was silent from the upset, but a few people who placed bets on the newcomers cheered. The duo lowered their weapons to enjoy their victory, confusing the fallen fighter.

"What are you doing?" Cadet lifted his visor to show his sky blue eyes and some locks of his grey tinted hair. "This is the part where you kill me," he said and it confused the winners.

The cheers began to change to demands for an execution. Remus was confused and Silver wasn't liking the pressure he was given. He looked above to the window of Jasper's office. Jasper was there watching and he had a neutral face, waiting to see what happens next. Despite the persuasion of the audience, the final decision rested upon Silver and Remus and the choice was obvious. They put away their weapons, much to the dismay of the audience, and surprise of Cadet. Remus stretched his hand out to help the warrior stand to his feet and he took it, making the crowd boo even more, but they ignored it.

"Now that's a surprise, we haven't had a mercy call in a long time folks. These new competitors are surely a team to keep an eye on. Anyway, the winners are Remus and Silver." His words quelled the crowd a little, but agitation was still lingering in the air. Remus and Silver left the arena from their side and Cadet from his. Deep down, he was thankful they spared his life.

 **Setting: Suite Room**

In order to keep Remus and Silver from suspecting anything, Jasper let them stay in a room for guests instead of the dungeon with the other fighters, he didn't want them to hear any war stories about Zelts. He also told them that fighters couldn't leave their rooms unless escorted in order to prevent fighters from sabotaging one another and to prevent spectators from bribing them to fix fights. Remus was by the window, looking down at the masked people walk throughout the area while Silver laid on one of the beds, thinking about what happened.

 _"There's killing in these fights. The allow killing, the betting, and the masked audience...this is an illegal underground fighting ring, emphasis on underground,"_ Silver looked at the ceiling while contemplating this thought. He got up from the bed and looked at the people.

 _"The people here are keeping their identities a secret, maybe some higher ups around the world that don't want their name associated with this organization. Zelts, where are you and what the hell have you gotten us into?"_

 **Setting: Zelts's Cell**

"Anyway the winners are Remus and Silver."

Zelts heard Jasper say and he let out a breath. "Thank goodness. They made it out alive. Now I can kill them next time I see them." Zelts said to himself feeling both relieved and furious. From his current position he couldn't do anything but wait _._

 _"If those two are here, that must mean Violet is here as well so they should be fine for now. I just have to trust them to stay out of trouble...or to stay out of more trouble,"_

 **Setting: Violet's Suite**

Violet was furious when she returned and heard her two bumbling teammates were participating in the battles here instead of looking for Zelts. She didn't know the full story of their involvement so she wasn't sure but so far she thought they were complete idi-

"Your friends are idiots," Absinthe said leaning against the wall her room next to the door.

"Only I can call my boys idiots," she said not amused by his unwelcomed remark.

"They could've found another to find Zelts, a less confrontational approach. They might not even survive the next several battles. Fools, you don't need to rely on others, that's what I'm trying to teach you and they're just proving my-" Absinthe spoke, but a knife hit the wall close to his face. Violet had a face on her that told him to stop talking and he complied.

"That's funny coming from you," she said deadpan and it caught Absinthe off-guard. "If you believe in working alone, then why are you so desperate on finding someone to teach?"

"..."

"Is it because you're alone and want an apprentice as a surrogate child?"

"..."

"Or is it because you drive everyone away and teaching someone your ways is some twisted way for to remain in this world? Like your spirit lives within your apprentice? So you won't be forgotten? How sad."

"..."

Absinthe moved to the door. "Training begins again tomorrow, same place, same time," he said before leaving.

Violet was unsure if she struck a nerve or not. She looked out her window to look at the marvelous cavern being used for wicked pleasure. _"Remus, Silver, Zelts. Give me a little more time. I promise to get us home in one piece,"_

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Absinthe said Violet's greatest quality is her willpower and he's right. Each member has a quality that stands out;**

 **Remus: Charisma**

 **Silver: Loyalty (Surprisingly)**

 **Zelts: Compassion**

 **Cadet is a shade of gray that is blue-grayish, sort of a combination of Remus's and Silver's respective colors.**

 **Cadet and the other participants in Never-End are children and young teens taken from their homes to fight. They are similar to Peter Pan's Lost Boys. Most of them don't know Zelts personally but heard about him and idealize him. Many are inspired by him that they could survive this hell.**


	24. Top Tier

**Setting: Coliseum**

Two fighters were knocked to the ground, unable to battle. On the opposite side of the arena were Remus and Silver, facing off against a woman wielding a leather whip with a blade at the end. She twirled it around then threw the bladed end toward Silver, wrapping his body and keeping him from moving. She planned to drag him around the field, but her plan was thwarted by Silver's semblance. He increased gravity's effect on himself to keep him in place as the girl continued to struggle moving him and he looked bored. Out of nowhere, Remus appeared behind her back using Checkpoint. With sword in hand, he cut the whip then grabbed the woman and teleported in the air with her to initiate **Cirque du Ciel**. Silver entered the fray by using Gravity to get in the air with the others. He attacked his opponent in tandem with Remus, delivering sword slashes and blunt strikes against a defenseless opponent. The fight ended when the woman fell back down to Remnant, completely beaten and defeated. The match resulted in Remus and Silver's victory and the crowd cheered, but a few quickly changed to boos when the duo once again spared their opponent.

Jasper was in his office as he watched the fight, very pleased with their battle prowess and decided they needed to be given more pressing battles to keep them on their toes and keep the masses happy. They were also on a bit of a winning streak.

"Maybe they need someone to bring them down to size, I hate for my audience to think I play favorites." Jasper then thought of a wicked idea. "Now she would be the perfect opponent," he said with a devilish smile.

 **Setting: Suite Room**

It has been three days since they've participated in the Never-End battles with the goal of eventually confronting Zelts and bringing him back home. So far their efforts didn't see results as they have yet to meet or face Zelts. It didn't help that they had to follow Jasper's rule of forbidding fighters talking to one another, it would've been a good way to gather information. Also the underground fighting made it quite apparent to Silver that Jasper's nice guy front the first time they met was a facade and the fact that Silver fell for it meant he was a one-armed demon in human skin.

After about nine battles, the duo gained favor from the crowd. Even their continuous mercy plays have gained fewer boos as their battles were entertaining enough to overlook the lack of death. Their fights were easy but they were getting more difficult each time. The duo could tell most of these fighters were inexperienced based on their lackluster fighting style and rigid body language while there were some that were seasoned fighters, but so far, none have been able to match up to them. They were escorted back to their room again and were bored out of their minds. It was obvious to Silver that Jasper wanted to prevent them from getting to Zelts. Their boredom was disrupted by someone knocking on their door. "I'll get it, I like meeting new people," Remus said as he answered the door and on the other side was Jasper.

"Hello my superstars. How are you this fine day?" he greeted and Silver could tell it was false, but Remus was too gullible.

"Hey Jasper, what are you doing here?" he said sounding like a child. Silver had to be the one to speak with Jasper on their behalf, his manipulation would destroy Remus's innocence on a molecular level.

"What do you want with us? Here to tell us about Zelts?" Silver demanded more than asked, moving Remus from the door so he was facing Jasper instead. He couldn't prove it, but he knew Jasper wasn't telling them anything. Jasper took notice of Silver's protective nature before he spoke.

"Actually yes, you both have been doing so well that you've been bumped up to the top tier rounds, that's where Zelts is fighting."

As someone who has dealt with liars and a fellow deceiver, he could tell what he was saying did hold some truth. "Yes! We finally get to see Zelts!" Remus said happy and Jasper grinned, but not for the same reason.

"Yes you do my friend. Fortunately, the top tier bracket is made up of very few fighters, including yourselves, it consists of four fighters and the current champion. I plan to have you fight one opponent before seeing Zelts in the next battle. If you win, then you've reached your goal of seeing your friend again, but if you lose, you'll have to find some other way to meet him. However, if you lose and he loses as well, then you could meet in the losers bracket, but I doubt he'd lose, he has a lot riding on this."

"Thanks for the advice," Silver said rudely and Jasper was turning around to leave but stop for theatrics.

"Oh and just so you know, bring your A-game, your next opponent, she's a vicious one. Rooting for you," he said and Silver didn't like his sarcasm at that last statement.

Remus walked to the door. "Thanks for your help Jasper, we couldn't have done it without you," he said as he extended his hand for a handshake. Jasper did the same, but stopped midway when he realized Remus stuck out his left hand, making it awkward for the left armed man. Silver purposely let a chuckle slip because he knew his friend didn't mean anything by it. Jasper placed his hand back to his side.

"Think nothing of it. Sooner or later you can repay the favor," he said before leaving. Deep inside he felt extremely agitated by Remus' oblivious rudeness and swore he would make him pay, severely.

 **Setting: Never-End Rock**

Violet and Absinthe were killing the hordes of Grimm around the large rock. Violet killed five Beowolves while Absinthe killed three times as many in addition to two Deathstalkers. The difference in strength was obvious. After their skirmish, Violet was forced to fight with Absinthe again, this time, she had to fight him while surrounded by enraged Grimm. She fought enemies from every direction with Absinthe being the biggest threat of them all. She clashed with Absinthe, but a Beowolf bit her leg and she stabbed it in the face to kill it.

Absinthe stopped his assault and watched as Violet became consumed by Grimm dog pilling her and it seemed like she was going to be devoured, but Violet shouted. The Grimm on top of her were tossed aside and Violet was standing above the rest before she started using her daggers to slit throats and stabbed Grimm in a furious frenzy. The use of dust never crossed her mind because she wanted to rend and tear everything in her path. Her fury only drew more Grimm, but one continued to fall to her might. One by one, Beowolves, Ursai, and Creeps were slaughtered without mercy and it was a sight to behold. Absinthe was at a loss for words, here and now, this was the moment that made it clear to him.

 _"This girl... my legacy, my reincarnation lies with her,"_

The Grimm seemed to ignore him as they saw a greater threat in Violet and her raw emotions attracted them like a magnet. Eventually her body was slowing down from fatigue and Absinthe had to step in to assist her. He used multiple fire dust crystals that exploded and blew up all Grimm too close to Violet before moving to her himself. Absinthe dragged her out of the fight, to the safety of Never-End Rock before using the lift to return to the underground organization. The battle drained Violet of her energy, so Absinthe had to carry her back to her room and left her there to sleep, but he lingered at the door then looked back at Violet's sleeping form, seeing a bit of himself in her before leaving.

 **Setting: Jasper's Office**

"How's your apprentice?" Jasper asked trying to sound exceedingly curious but deep down he wasn't. He poured himself and Absinthe green alcoholic drinks to lighten the mood.

"Still rebellious but she shows promise," Absinthe said before drinking from his cup. "The girl doesn't seem to be all that compliant, she's too worried about her friends and it's keeping her from reaching her full potential."

"So, you need her friends gone? That may happen sooner than you think, I put them in the top tier battles and you know the best fighters there show no mercy." Absinthe didn't seem affected by this as he took another sip.

"The first battle is about to begin, stay and enjoy the show," Jasper said, placing his one hand on Absinthe's shoulder.

Absinthe was like everyone else, he did not like Jasper. His twisted joy for watching death battles created these illegal rings, kidnapping children and young adults, forcing them to fight, it disgusted Absinthe. The money was the only reason he associated with a man of his caliber. Jasper wasn't aware that the one person in the world he considered a friend didn't feel the same in the slightest.

"This will be worth watching," Jasper said, taking a seat facing the window and Absinthe did so to see the arena. "If your apprentice is still defiant, give her to me. I'd like a new addition to the games," he commented while grabbing his drink. The hunter was not amused by his comment.

"I hope the one in blue dies. I really hate that one," Jasper said with a malicious grin.

 **Setting: Violet's Suite**

Violet woke up looking at the ceiling of her room. Her body ached, but it wasn't so bad that she couldn't move. Looking around, she could tell this wasn't the same room she was in before, it was located closer to the coliseum, giving her a good bird's eye view of the arena. She wasn't interested in the senseless fights so she planned to ignore the fights and get some more sleep while she could.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is time for us to begin the battles for the top tier rank." Violet heard Jasper speak to the spectators in the coliseum. She never met him, but she could tell she wouldn't like him since he put Remus and Silver in the fights.

 _"At least they're not in the top tier fights,"_ she thought laying back in bed.

"And to make things interesting, the two newcomers will be joining the ranks," Jasper announced and it made Violet leap out of bed.

"WHAT?!"

 **Setting: Zelts's Cell**

"WHAT?!" Zelts shouted after hearing Jasper's announcement.

 _"This is bad. This isn't like bounty missions in Fortuna, they're in over their heads,"_ he thought trying to find a way out but there was none.

"But this time, the battles will be different. Besides our new recruits, there are three others in top tier participating. The new duo will be facing one, the other one as you all know is our champion, and the third is a special contender for all to witness," Jasper said and Zelts had to think for a moment.

 _"Okay three, I'm the special contender no doubt about that, and I have a pretty good guess who the champ is, then the one Remus and Silver are facing is-"_ Zelts interrupted his own thoughts when the realization dawned on him.

 _"Oh no,"_

 **Setting: Never-End Coliseum**

"First up is the duo of Fortuna, the dark horses of Never-End, Remus Cobalt and Silver Synch!" Jasper shouted and the two entered the arena, but something odd occurred to them.

The audience wasn't cheering for them. It was dead silent, making the whole place seem abandoned and ominous.

"I don't like this," Silver said looking around then the draw bridge from the other side of the arena was lowering.

"And now, shout, scream, cheer for one of Never-End's greatest veterans. She has survived here for almost a whole year, a warrior who shows no mercy in battle. The undisputed queen and the strongest female fighter here, Tigress!" Jasper shouted and the audience went ablaze. The cheering was all for one person and it made the other two feel like they were the heels in this fight.

The person they were fighting was a girl on the cusp of becoming a woman. She was definitely older than Silver, mostly likely around Zelts' age group. She had tan skin but not as dark as Remus' and long black hair in a long French braided ponytail that reached down to her back. Her attire was different from everyone else they faced so far, she didn't wear any armor. She wore a black sleeveless shirt beneath a shaolin-style kung fu uniform. The uniform was stitched in way that the sleeve on the right was obviously from different clothing, the uniform was orange except for the black buttons along with the only sleeve which was black as well. Her pants were black with the orange silhouette of a tiger on the right leg. She also had small metal bracers and she was equipped with a five-section partisan. Her eyes were black, like looking into a bottomless pit and the expression on her face meant she was very serious.

Silver eyed her and knew she was the type of person who plays for keeps and maybe they'll have a hard time fighting her. Remus was excited, he was facing a powerful opponent and he wanted to prove he was the strongest of them all.

"Place your bets!"

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **There is no real format to Never-End battles. Jasper just does whatever he likes, changes the rules to his liking, all for his entertainment.**

 **Lily's name in Never-End is Tigress because Jasper thought she was a ferocious beast in battle. Tigress and Lily come from Tiger Lily, the character from Peter Pan as well as the flower which is why her color scheme is orange and black. Her symbol is the Gemini symbol with three claw marks slashing through it and it is located on the back of her uniform, but is slightly obscured by her hair.**

 **Jasper lost his arm fighting Grimm in his younger years as a huntsman. He's grown less sensitive about it as he got older, but if someone makes fun of it, he will make sure they don't live to regret it.**

 **The green drinks Absinthe and Jasper were drinking were in fact Absinthe.**


	25. Crouching Tigress, Hidden Zelts

**Setting: Coliseum**

"Fight!" Jasper shouted and in a flash, Tigress swiftly moved in on the two. Remus ran toward her as well to cut her off then swung his blade to land the first strike, but she blocked it with her spear. Her reflexes were faster than Remus could predict and she elbowed him in the gut, punched him hard in the face, then grabbed him by his shirt and threw him behind her back before running over to Silver.

"Whoa!" Silver said before shooting at her, but she tiptoed around each shot and would've closed the distance if Silver didn't use Gravity to jump high in the air at the right moment.

Back on his feet, Remus used this moment to attack from behind, but Tigress' senses were sharp and she already felt his presence. Silver saw that she was ready to retaliate and increased his gravity to send himself plummeting to her with Ceasefire in escrima mode. The two boys were about to pull off their pincer maneuver, but Tigress split her weapon in half and used both halves to block the sword and escrima sticks at the same time. She moved her weapons slightly, using the momentum from their attack to move them forward. Remus was forced to take a step forward and Silver had no choice but to land on the ground. In that moment, Tigress jumped, attacking them simultaneously, kicking Silver in the jaw and hitting Remus in the back of the head with the staff half of the spear. Silver fell to the ground along with Remus and he grabbed his jaw to make sure it wasn't dislocated. He saw that Tigress wasn't letting up as she rushed to them again with her weapon back to normal. She jumped and planned to run through them with her spear.

"Remus!" Silver shouted and his friend saw what was about to happen and teleported both of them away from impalement. Tigress looked around and didn't see them on the ground, she quickly looked above, but only saw a blue smoke, the next thing she knew, she felt a pair of hands on her back. They were ready to use **_Cirque du Ciel._**

Silver used Gravity to lighten Tigress' body and he quickly threw her in the air, his and Remus' turf. Remus teleported above her ready to attack, but his attack was met with the blade of her spear. The two began a midair battle that had no winner and they continued to clash until Silver jumped in and hit her in the back with a surprise headbutt. His intervention gave Remus the opportunity to hit her while her guard was down. He landed a good slash, but Tigress changed the form of her weapon again, this time, it transformed into a three section spear that allowed her to fend off both her adversaries at the same time.

The aerial dogfight continued for a while and the female warrior was able to parry every attempt they made to attack her. Every time Tigress was about to descend, Silver would threw her into the air with little gravity affecting her and when he needed some more air time, Remus would teleport beneath him and Silver would use the flat side of his sword as a foothold to jump up and continue his attack. They did this again and were about to fight her on both sides until Tigress grew tired of this repetitive dance.

With her partisan in its regular form, she concentrated while her opponents got closer and closer, then she suddenly split into two versions of herself, a completely orange one that clashed with Remus and an entirely black one that clashed with Silver. Their confusion allowed the Tigress Twins a chance to change the tide of battle, the black half grabbed Silver while he was still under the effect of Gravity and tossed him back down to the coliseum floor then landed on top of him. His aura protected him from any fatal injuries, but that didn't stop the immense pain he felt as he rolled on the ground in pain and the black half was about to attack while he was down. Remus teleported to so save his friend, but the orange half hitched a ride by grabbing onto his shirt.

Remus teleported between Silver and his opponent, he stood with his back to the black half so it would attack its orange companion with its spear. The black half halted her assault to avoid friendly fire. Remus teleported again, without the hitchhiker, but only teleported a few inches away so he was facing them. He changed his sword to a railgun and fired an energy pulse that hit and knocked them both away. Silver finally got up and tightened his grip on his escrima sticks. The crowd cheered against them the whole time, but with this level of battle, the warriors tuned it out.

"There you have it folks, Tigress' unrivaled semblance, Gemini!" Jasper shouted over the microphone and the fans went wild.

 **Setting: Violet's Suite**

Violet watched as her boys were having difficulty against this one opponent now two. She was worried, this person was strong, maybe too strong for Remus and Silver to defeat, even together.

 **Setting: Zelts' Cell**

Zelts was alone in a cell and he was standing up from anxiety. He didn't know how this fight was going to end and the mercy rule wasn't allowed in top tier battles. The only one who ever defied that rule was himself. He prayed that if his old friend would do the same.

 **Setting: Coliseum**

The Tigress Twins got up then moved in sync as they moved to their opponents. Silver thought the best move was to divide and conquer so he and Remus took their respective opponents. Silver changed one escrima stick back to a gun then charged for the black half. Remus sprinted toward the orange half. The black Tigress lunged her spear at Silver, but he deflected it with the escrima stick then tried to shoot her with the gun. The twin saw this ploy and immediately ducked before he fired then changed her weapon to a five-section spear and fought him up close, but Silver kept a good distance so he could stay out of the attack range of her weapon while close enough to fire his gun at close range. The orange Tigress did its best to keep an eye on Remus, who was running around her at high speeds, but she kept track of where he was. He ran straight for her and slammed his blade against her spear, keeping her ground, but the force pushed her back several feet. She reached for the section of the spear that held the spearhead and disconnected it, giving her a free arm to attack. Her dual handed attacks fended off Remus's high speed offense.

The black half had Silver cornered. The five-section spear knocked the gun out of his hand than swept his legs to knock him down. It was about to deliver a killing blow by stabbing him in the heart. Meanwhile, Remus was holding his own as his momentum was increasing, overwhelming the orange half in close combat, so she decided to jump back, but Remus was quick and slashed her ankle, causing it to falter and fall. The same pain was felt by the black half as it staggered. Silver took complete advantage of this and started to hit the twin on her shoulder and sides with his escrima stick. The pain was also felt by the other one and the boys came up with the same conclusion.

 _"They share the same pain,"_

Remus and Silver learned of the semblance's weakness, but were unable to utilize it to their advantage. The Tigress Twins turned into energy and came together between Remus and Silver, becoming the original Tigress again, looking as serious as ever. The duo ran to take her out once and for all. They fought her off together, but she remained untouched by their attacks and in the midst of the fight, she detached one of the sections of the partisan and planted each one into the ground. She circled around them and planted all five sections around the two until all she had left was the spearhead. The sections in the ground appeared hollow, nothing inside them, pretty harmless, but Tigress did this for a reason. She kept fighting them hand to hand to distract them from her earlier action then she jumped off of Silver and was in the air, high enough to get out of range.

With her spearhead in hand, Tigress pressed her thumb onto the middle area of the spearhead and it made a noise like a device. The hollow inside of the planted sections began to glow and the duo were too focused on Tigress to notice before it was too late. The sections shot small cannon fire that hit them from all directions and Tigress did this a second time for good measure, leaving a smoke from cannon fire everywhere. Smoke from the attack covered the duo, but Tigress already knew as she landed a few feet away that the battle was over. Her opponents were defeated, Remus was on the ground, knocked out and covered in soot with Silver beneath him still conscious, but his aura broken and unable to continue the fight.

"Your winner, Tigress!" Jasper shouted happily and the crowd cheered for her as she approached her defeated foes.

Silver looked at Remus, who was unconscious. "Dammit, why did you have to protect me? We were both going down anyway?" Silver was more upset with himself than Remus. His friend made a last ditch effort to protect him by taking more than his share of the blast. Silver jerked his head up and saw Tigress standing above them. She was silent as she looked at him and he didn't know if they were supposed to talk or something. The crowd was cheering for her to kill them and she was going to. Tigress was gathering the sections of her spear before delivering the finishing blow.

 **Setting: Violet's Suite**

The door to her room was broken, looking like it was kicked from the inside, and the several guards standing outside her door were incapacitated. She was running out of the small hotel like building to save her boys.

 **Setting: Zelts' Cell**

Zelts was on his knees, still praying that Lily wouldn't do it. He hoped the kind girl he met here long ago was still in there.

 **Setting: Coliseum**

As she gathered the last of her weapon, Silver contemplated his would-be demise. He dodged death more times than he can count and he never thought of a proper one for himself. "Guess I'm not going to make it this time," he said in a hoarse tone that only he and Tigress could hear but she ignored his final words as she picked up the third section. Silver tilted his head to look at Remus. "Sorry Remus, I know you wanted to prove you're the strongest for whatever reason, but if you asked me, I'd say you leveled up a lot being here." Tigress reattached the fourth section.

"Sorry Vi, I know you probably wanted the honor of killing us for getting involved in this stupid thing." He chuckled a little as Tigress reattached the final section. She aimed her weapon at Silver's heart. He closed his eyes as he said his final words.

"Sorry Zelts, looks like we couldn't bring you back home." He waited for death, but her chilling grasp never came.

"What did you say?"

Silver opened his eyes to see the spearhead an inch away from his face. Tigress looked at him like he spoke a foreign language she couldn't understand.

"What do you know about Zelts?" she asked in a demanding tone. The crowd was beginning to wonder why the killing was taking so long.

"What's it to you?" he asked and kind of regretted using that tone seeing as how she's holding a weapon in his face.

"He was the former champion in Never-End before he died in battle and... someone special to me," she said that last part with feeling.

"Oh, he's our friend and he's not dead."

"Don't lie! We all know what happened. There's no way he could've survived." She was getting frustrated with his words and her spearhead was a little closer than Silver would've liked.

"What can I say, the guy is hard to kill. And I'm not lying. Zelts is alive and he's here, fighting in the games. We're here to knock some sense into him and bring him back home. We were suppose to fight him if we beat you, but as you can see, that won't be happening."

Tigress, no, Lily didn't know what to think at first but came to a conclusion. _"I-if he is alive and he's here... they're his friends and they've come for him. But..."_ she was lost in thought trying to figure out what to do.

The crowd was beginning to turn from the silence and Jasper wasn't happy. He intended to silence those two by using Tigress. He wanted Zelts' new friends to be slain by his old flame for his own morbid inside joke, but that plan seems to be having trouble coming to fruition. He grabbed his microphone.

"Tigress, kill them already!" he shouted sounding more angry and unraveled than he wanted and it showed.

Lily furrowed her brow when she looked up at Jasper's office/viewing box then looked at Silver. _"If Zelts is alive, they are my best chance at finding him,"_ she thought as she stabbed her spear into the ground and folded her arms as an act of defiance.

The crowd was upset with a mercy call in a top tier match, but Jasper was furious. No one has ever snuffed him like this since Zelts when he refused to kill a single soul. Remus and Silver were constantly sparing foes, Tigress' outright disrespect, it all reminded him of Zelts who grew more favor than anyone in Never-End, including the master of Never-End himself and it made his blood boil. In his enraged thoughts, Jasper pulled an evil smile, he thought of the best way to take revenge on Zelts.

"Very well Tigress, we'll respect your decision. Take them all to the dungeon," Jasper ordered. Silver relaxed now that he cheated death again, but knew he and Remus weren't out of it yet.

Absinthe went down there with several armed escorts to guide them all down to the dungeon with the other contestants. With Absinthe there, they had no choice, but to go to the dungeons. In the audience was Violet, standing by the entryway and donning a mask to hide herself in the crowd. She knew where they were going, but she was going to find someone else.

 **Setting: Dungeon**

Now that Remus and Silver lost and Tigress failed to kill them on his behalf, Jasper saw no further use for them and needed a new way to dispose of them. Giving them a hotel room to losers and people you want to kill didn't seem lucrative to him, so he sent them to the cells all the other participants were in. Silver was sitting in a cell with Remus slumped over the wall until he finally woke up.

"Hey buddy, feeling better?" Silver asked jokingly, but relieved he was alright.

"Did we win?" Remus asked stretching his arms.

Silver shook his head no and the boy lightly slammed his fist into the ground. "Man! I wanted to win so bad!" he said a little frustrated.

Silver arched his eyebrow. "To get to Zelts, right?"

"Hm? Oh y-yeah, that too." Silver knew Remus liked fighting the most out of VRSZ, but this might be a problem.

"You said you know Zelts, talk," a voice said and they didn't see who it was. The cell adjacent to theirs was a cell occupied by Tigress. She was standing near the cell doors as she spoke.

"Is that anyway to people you just beat up? We were told by Jasper that Zelts came here to redeem himself in battle." Silver countered.

"And you believed Jasper?" she said in a tone that Silver didn't like. Tigress was treating him like a moron.

"Hey, I didn't know he was lying at the time, we just met. Besides, we followed Zelts here, how were we supposed to know about this place?"

"The massive horde of Grimm driven here by the massive negativity of the prisoners wasn't a sign?" she said sarcastically.

"...You know what, I really don't like you." Silver's insult didn't faze the girl one bit.

 **Setting: Zelts's Cell**

Zelts sat in his cell eyes closed. He was relieved to know Lily spared his friends, but showing mercy in top tier matches was not allowed and Jasper allowed it, meaning he has something nefarious planned for them. The question was what.

 **Setting: Never-End Cavern**

Violet walked along with the people as she searched for Zelts. She took note of the small canteens made for people to eat, drinks, and other recreations while they waited for battles. She also noticed that the walls of the underground cavern were carved, they weren't natural, likely carved by Jasper to make more room. Violet looked around her and above, she was wondering how stable and safe this whole place was.

 _"A good rumble will probably bring this whole place down,"_

She kept moving to remove suspicion. She couldn't locate Zelts anywhere. _"Wherever he is, they're keeping him well hidden,"_ she thought as she vanished into the crowd.

 **Setting: Violet's Suite**

Absinthe stood in front of the room Violet occupied to see men defeated and his apprentice gone. His face was neither angry or upset, just blank. He walked down the hallway to try and find his escapee.

 **Setting: Dungeon**

"Tigress, can I ask you something?" Remus said breaking the silence that she and Silver created from their previous conversation.

"What is it?" she said with little venom in her voice. Based on her talk with Silver she wasn't looking for another verbal dispute from the other one. But, this is Remus.

"Can I fight you again?" he asked and the other two wore bewildered looks.

"Huh?" She had no other words to say to his request.

"Really? This is what you want to ask? Do you think of anything else?" Silver said not amused by his friend's one track mind.

"I think of other things like video games, food, you guys, questions like 'Can you daydream at night?' or 'Does money grow on trees?, I think it does."

Tigress was holding back a small grin from hearing him chatter.

"Money doesn't grow on trees genius," Silver said getting carried away by Remus's silliness. His involvement in Remus' antics made it funnier for her.

"If money doesn't grow on trees, then why do banks have branches?" he said a little snarky. Tigress put her hand on her mouth to suppress her laughter, but she was about to break.

"...You truly are a freaking moron," Silver said and that last comment was her limit.

Tigress laughed, she couldn't hold it in anymore and it not only surprised Remus and Silver, but the other residents of the dungeon stirred from their queen's amusement. "You two are ridiculous," she said wiping a tear away. Any animosity she had washed away just like that when Remus joined in the conversation with his usual self. "If you want, we could fight again some other time," she said to humor the boy but he took it as a promise.

"...Hey," Silver said trying to speak to her in a less hostile tone. "What's your relationship with Zelts?"

Tigress was hesitant, but answered anyway. "He taught me how to fight and how to be kind even to my opponents. He was my mentor and...friend." She was hesitating because she didn't know how to address her status with Zelts.

"He did a helluva job on the first one, but not too sure about the second," Silver commented and she didn't mind.

"When I heard he died, I lost hope in the world, sorry about earlier," she apologized and Silver asked another question, one he wanted to ask Zelts himself, but thought she was the next best person to ask.

"What happened here? What is his real connection to this place?" Unbeknownst to them, Violet found her boys, she stood on the other side of the dungeon's wall, pretending to mind her own business as she eavesdropped. Tigress began telling them the tale of Zelts and Never-End.

"Zelts has been a prisoner here for six years. He's been fighting here ever since he was twelve. He told me when he first came here, he was a short, scrawny little thing that no one imagined would last a fight. Six years later, he's everyone's favorite. He survived longer than anyone in the dark history of Never-End and became famous, but he also became infamous for his inability to protect those who fought by his side. No matter how hard he fought or how hard he tried, they never survived and it haunted Zelts every day. Despite it all, he kept dreaming about being free, to be his own person under the big blue sky, he kept helping and befriending new prisoners, including me, I came when he was seventeen and made me what I am today, the fighter with the second longest lifespan in Never-End. He even gave me my name," she said the last part with flushed cheeks.

"Tigress?" Silver asked and she shook her head.

"Lily," she said fondly.

"Unfortunately, prolonging your life here isn't great either. Zelts was gaining favor with everyone, contestant and viewer , and it meant he had power, something Jasper didn't like. Even though Zelts made Never-End popular, he'd rather have Zelts dead than be a bigger influence than him, so he orchestrated a fight for Zelts, one that if he won, he would get his freedom. He accepted and waited for his opponent but... there was something he didn't know. Absinthe found a fighter for Zelts, or more like he found Absinthe, a person willingly entered Never-End for the sake of fighting and killing, and that person... that monster was going to fight Zelts."

"The fight was one-sided the entire time. Zelts was losing and from the sound of it, he was going to die. I was in my cell and I don't know what happened, but I felt a huge explosion then I heard Jasper announce that Zelts died. My heart was broken that day and I shut myself off from everyone, just fighting as a means to an end, until you guys came along and told me Zelts is actually alive."

Lily ended her tale. Violet felt satisfied knowing a large portion of the truth and it was almost identical to what Zelts told her before and that made her happy. She left because she stayed in one place for too long and needed to keep searching for her other teammate.

"I guess he made it out somehow, without Jasper knowing too," Silver deduced. "Now the question is, what does Jasper plan to do with him?" Silver asked. Lily didn't know, Remus didn't know, and Silver didn't know either.

Instead of figuring it out, Silver thought of something else. "Maybe we should try to escape now."

Lily laughed at his idea. "Good luck with that. Jasper has his stooges keeping a sharp eye on everything that happens here. When one of them sees you, the whole place will know and drag you back here or worse. I don't know what worse could be and I don't want to imagine it."

"If worse come to worse, they'll capture us again, put us back in the games, feed us to the Grimm outside, and who knows, the people here will use this opportunity to have their with your tight dark body," Silver added staring at the ceiling.

"How dare you!" Lily said offended.

"I was talking about Remus," Silver said and Remus looked in Silver's direction upon hearing his own name.

"Hm? Did you say something?"

Their conversation was interrupted when several guards opened their doors.

"To the coliseum," one of them said.

Whatever Jasper had planned it was starting now.

 **Setting: Zelts' Cell**

Absinthe was on the other side of Zelts' cell as he stared at the young warrior before opening the door. Zelts looked up when he heard the screeching of the door and saw the man who took him from his original family. Zelts' anger flared, but he kept it under control, fighting Absinthe won't come without consequence.

"He wants to see you," the hunter said as he picked up the Wings of Icarus and gave it to its owner.

 **Setting: Jasper's Office**

Absinthe took Zelts to Jasper's office where the man sat at his desk with a triumphant smile on his face. His smug look annoyed Zelts to no end. Jasper asked him to sit, but Zelts defied him and remained standing. Jasper let him be in order to speak.

"Your friends did poorly against Tigress, such a shame, I liked them to-"

"Let them go," Zelts interrupted with his demand. "They have nothing to do with this place. You already have me, what more do you want?"

"I'd like to have everything, but we can't always get what we want so we make do with what we have," Jasper said and Zelts knew what he had to do if he wanted something from Jasper, he had to sell his soul to the devil.

"What would I have to give for you to let them go?" he asked, preparing to sacrifice himself for his friends and Jasper smiled. Absinthe was still in the room, waiting by the door to escort Zelts. He already knew what was going to happen, it was all foreseen by Jasper and Zelts was in the palm of his hand.

Jasper cackled, everything was going the way he wanted so he went right to the point. "If you want me to set them free, then you have to do only one thing. Win the next battle, I don't care about killing or mercy, don't care how you do it, all you have to do is make sure you come out victorious."

Zelts furrowed his brow at the simplicity of this deal. "My next opponent is Lily, so your game is for me to choose between friends? Remus and Silver or Lily, a game to see who I value more?" Zelts wasn't amused by Jasper's ploy on wagering lives.

"It's a little more than that my young friend, see, whoever wins faces the champion, Chrome."

Hearing his name sent a chill down Zelts's spine. The fear was still there, deep in his heart.

"If you lose than the winner of that match will face him in the final fight. Are you sure you can subject her to that same experience?" Jasper asked rhetorically. Zelts' silence was all he needed as confirmation.

"Remember, if you don't win, someone else will fight Chrome and most likely die in the process. You are the only one here who can last the longest against him, before dying that is. Do you want someone you care for to suffer knowing you had the power to prevent it?"

Zelts didn't answer. He left the room without permission, but Jasper smiled. He knew Zelts was going to do anything to win against Lily. However, Jasper left out something important about his battle.

 **Setting: Coliseum**

The arena was packed with masked spectators that were waiting restlessly for the next fight. Sitting in the crowd was Violet still in disguise. She figured if she was going to help either of her boys, it would best to be where they were. Her idea was probably too sound as she saw who entered the ring.

Remus and Silver on one side, Lily standing on the other, and walking down the hall leading to the arena was Zelts. No one here knew about the spectacular battle that was going to unfold.

 **Next Chapter Title:**

 **Team VRSZ Volume Two Chapter 26: VRSZ Zelts, Fight the Knight**

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Lily's semblance is Gemini. It splits her body into two halves, one completely orange and another completely black. They can fight independently or fight together. The are just as strong as Lily in her original form and coupled with her versatile weapon makes it one of the more powerful semblances. The only weakness is that they are twins that share the same pain. Injuring one injures the other.**

 **Lily's weapon is named Flying Eagle, the name the Indian chief gave Peter Pan. It is a weapon with more forms than most and is very difficult to master. The sections on the partisan are hollow except for a piece of dust inside each of them. They are connected and can disconnect through the wielders aura.**

 **Lily and Zelts got their weapons from Jasper. He has his men buy, steal, and search for weapons and armor then bring them to Never-End for the prisoners to fight over. Zelts' shield was originally owned by the legendary huntsman Sterling talked about. He died in the desert and Jasper's goons miraculously found it in the desert. Lily's weapon was just a rare find as well.**


	26. VRSZ Zelts, Fight The Knight

**Setting: Coliseum**

 _"I'm sorry Lily, I'd prefer if we met on better terms than this but, I can't let you fight against Chrome so... I'll do you one last kindness by defeating you in battle,"_ Zelts thought as he walked down the hall that led to his battle with an old friend, not expecting to see a few more familiar faces.

"Tell Ladies and Gentlemen, do you believe in ghosts?" Jasper asked over the microphone confusing everyone.

"We know someone named Ghost," Remus told Silver, who paid no mind as he looked to see who was coming. His heart was beating in his chest, he knew who it was.

Violet looked at the current situation of the arena. _"My boys on one side, Lily on the other, and someone else. A three-way battle?"_ Violet thought from her seat waiting to see what was going to happen.

"Do you believe in people coming back from the dead? If you didn't before, you will now. A warrior that has died long ago has come back from the dead to redeem himself and put to quell his restless soul." His words confused the audience even further, all of them except Violet, she knew who he was talking about.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you a legend reborn! The child formerly known as the champion was been revived into a man seeking redemption! I give the you the former champion of Never-End, the Knight of the Wind, Zelts!"

As he finished hyping the crowd, they looked toward the last entryway to see if his words were true. Zelts made it to the coliseum battleground and saw the opponents he had to fight; Remus, Silver, and Lily. Zelts was startled by this, but that didn't last long, he suspected Jasper of leaving out details about his match, like how he would face Lily and his friends. He held a disconcerted look as the crowd cheered his return.

The people rose from their seats and roared with such volume it felt like the entire stadium was shaking. Violet had to cover her ears, Remus and Silver watched the audience go nuts, Tigress ignored it to look at her old friend in astonishment. She heard them say he was alive, but in the back of her head she couldn't believe it till now. The person she admired more than anyone was alive and now she had to fight him. Zelts was ignoring the crowd too, thinking of what to do next. He knew that Jasper was a man who'd distort the truth, but never lie, making him even more unpredictable to read than a pathological liar, but Zelts knew one thing, he was a man who keeps his end in a bargain, even if he bends the truth, he'll keep it. This proved it, he told him he had to win and assumed his opponent was only Lily, but actually had to fight her and his friends.

"The rules have changed, this is a three-way battle. Remus & Silver vs. Tigress vs. Zelts! The winning side moves on to face our undefeated champion, Chrome!" Jasper said bringing joy to all but the fighters.

 _"The only way to get them out of here is to beat them,"_ Zelts thought. Jasper would keep his word, in some twisted way, but he would, that's the kind of man he is.

"PLACE YOUR BETS!" Jasper shouted before saying the word needed to initiate the battle.

"FIGHT!"

Remus teleported right in front of Zelts with a smile on his face. "We found you!" he said happily, but Zelts didn't respond in kind, his face was stern.

Silver jumped over there with Gravity and put his around Remus's shoulder. "Finally, you have no idea what we went through just to see you. Come on man let's get out of here." his words fell on deaf ears. Zelts remained where he stood. Remus's joyous face ceased when Zelts didn't respond. "What are you waiting for let's go, they can't stop all of us."

 _"I can't take that chance,"_ Zelts thought as Silver looked at Lily.

"Is it about your girlfriend?" Silver asked and that did cause Zelts to move slightly from hearing that they were acquainted, that only made what he was going to do worse.

"She's a real charmer that one, you really know how to pick'em. She can come too, but we're going to need some wheels to make it back ho-" Silver was interrupted by Zelts punching him in the face and sending him flying. It didn't help that the crowd applauded him for finally starting the fight. Violet stood from her seat.

Silver got up and rubbed his face as a way to soothe the pain. "What the hell Zelts?! Why did you hit me?! Why didn't you hit Remus! No one ever hits Remus! When does he get his do?!" Silver screams were ranging from angry to comical.

Remus stood there with an extremely complex look on his face. His were out of focus, like he was trying to solve a problem that didn't have an answer. He wasn't able to comprehend why Zelts would attack Silver, his friend. He just stood there until a gust of wind pushed him down to where Silver was. Zelts had the Wings of Icarus in its wingblade form. Lily ran till she was between them.

"Zelts, why are you doing this They're your friends aren't the?" She looked sad and confused, but Zelts remained silent.

He gripped his blades and rushed to her with the intent to fight, but she barely had her guard up, Lily was too surprised by his actions to think with the same mindset she had in other battles. She put up her partisan to make some form of defense. Zelts swung his blades and the sound of metal clashing with one another was heard around the coliseum. Zelts looked up to see someone in the audience entered the arena, standing between him and Lily while blocking his attack with twin daggers.

"I knew you were here too, Violet."

Zelts pushed her back, knocking her mask off. She back flipped away and landed behind Lily with a slightly angry face. Zelts looked at her then looked down in shame. The crowd gasped when they saw one of their own enter the fray. Absinthe was with Jasper in his office watching the fight. He got up from his seat ready to reclaim his apprentice, but Jasper put his only hand on Absinthe's shoulder to stop him.

"No, you said she was a defiant apprentice. Maybe this will teach her a lesson, besides, the people want a good show and she just upped the ante," Jasper said with a wicked smile. Absinthe didn't like this, he hated Jasper's need to please his love for violence, but Jasper was his employer and he had to obey as long as he was on his payroll. Jasper grabbed his microphone.

"This is a surprise isn't it? I'd like to introduce you all to Violet, the Violent Flower of the Desert, and a friend of Zelts. How will this newcomer fare in this three-way deadlock."

Jasper's words worked in calming the people and keeping them entertained. Violet stood with her team to do something she never thought she had to do, fight Zelts.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked her boys that stood by her side.

"Yeah," Silver said and Remus seemed uninjured. Lily froze, unable to fight her old friend, rendering her useless on the battlefield for the first time in years.

"Remus, distract!" she said and Remus teleported to Zelts and fought him. They battled by clashing blades, giving Violet time to speak with Silver.

"Do you know why he's doing this?" she asked the member of the team that could gather information from the criminal underworld.

"I don't know if it's true or not, but Jasper said he lost against the champion and said he wanted to prove he isn't weak or something. Maybe that holds some truth?" he said. Violet doubted that was the case. She knew Zelts wasn't the type of person to let his pride guide his decision-making.

"Zelts! Why are you fighting us?" Remus asked the question in their steed as he fought him.

Zelts grabbed him by his shirt and gave him his answer. "To protect you guys!" he shouted in his face before tossing him back to VRSZ.

Remus went over Violet and Silver who heard their conversation. "To keep us safe? So far I doubt that," Silver said seeing the action Zelts took against Remus. Despite his reasoning, Zelts was fighting them with resolve and words weren't going to sway him, only one thing left to do, something Violet wished they didn't have to resort to.

"Remus, Silver, three-pronged assault!" Violet shouted and they moved till they were surrounding Zelts from three different directions.

Violet was on his left, Silver was behind him, and Remus moved to his right. Violet quickly drew several Vorpal Swords, Remus shifted his sword into a railgun, and Silver brought out his guns. Each one attacked Zelts from three different sides to corner him. Zelts knew what they were doing and brought his blades back together to form his shield then hit slammed it into the ground so it was standing up right. Zelts put his hands out to Violet's and Remus' attack and they glowed a shimmering gold, meaning he activated Conversion.

Remus' energy bolt hit him first, but it was absorbed by Conversion, Silver's bullets were repelled by his shield protecting his backside, and Zelts caught Violet's throwing knives and drained them of their dust, rendering them useless as he dropped the knives.

"Dammit!" she said, not thinking that Zelts could counter like that and decided a full frontal assault was a better choice of tactic.

Before they could move in, Zelts quickly grabbed his shield and split them back into wingblades. He did a sweeping motion that created a small gust of wind to push them all back and an electrical current was running through it. Violet was caught by the blast and felt some pain as she was pushed back, Silver used Gravity to keep himself in place as the gust passed by, but was still hit by the electricity and Remus teleported above Zelts, avoiding the wind and tried to land a blow when he landed, but missed because of Zelts' slightly heightened reflexes when he gets energy from Conversion. Remus clashed with Zelts again, but was a little more difficult now that Zelts had increased reflexes and strength. Remus already lost to him in terms of physical power, but now it was even worse, all he could do was evade and parry for now, not until his own speed catches up. Violet saw that Silver and Remus were closer to him than she was, so she ordered them to fight Zelts head on.

" **Stormcloud**!" she shouted and it confused Zelts. He never heard that name before, but Remus and Silver smiled.

Remus brought Zelts' attention back to him as he got more aggressive in his atacks. Zelts kept him in place as their blades clashed and they were at a stalemate until Remus smirked followed by Silver moving in to join the fray. He teleported, but unlike the usual puff of smoke, this one was enormous as it covered Zelts and the area around him and it lingered instead of instantly disappearing. Zelts couldn't see through the thick fog and immediately felt something hit his body. A rhythmic assault occurred as he felt his body get hit by what he could assume was Silver and his escrima sticks. He tried to pinpoint where he was coming from then slashed their, but hit nothing as he felt more pounding.

 _"Silver isn't fast enough for this,"_ Zelts thought as he felt his entire body be hit at once. "Enough!" he shouted as he swung his blades.

The blast of air blew the smoke away to reveal Remus wielding Ceasefire in escrima mode instead of Velocitas Eradico. Remus smiled and teleported again, creating another thick cloud of blue smoke. Remus teleported to Violet, away from the cloud and watched what was about to happen. Silver was directly above the cloud, using Gravity to remain in the air longer with Velocitas Eradico in railgun mode in his hands as it charged for a stronger blast. Silver aimed and released a powerful bolt of energy down upon Zelts could clear the smoke again. The recoil of the railgun sent Silver upward, but the blast did hit Zelts when he wasn't expecting it so he couldn't use Conversion to drain it. The blast cleared the smoke and left Zelts vulnerable. When the smoke finally evaporated and Zelts was in full view, everyone saw he was down on one knee.

Silver tried to add more damage by landing on top of Zelts with increased gravity to make his body heavy enough to do real damage. He almost got him until a quickly recovered Zelts reached his hand out and grabbed him by the throat. Silver struggled to get out of his grip then locked eyes with his former teammate. He saw a look in Zelts' eyes he has never seen before and came to a horrible realization. Zelts slammed Silver into the ground and it hurt him greatly. Zelts was about to body slam him with his shield, but Remus came in, touched Silver, and teleported away before the hit made contact. All this time, Lily watched against the wall, still fazed, but amazed by Zelts' strength, like he never left.

"Silver are you alright?" Violet asked when they made it back.

"Y-yeah, but I learned something that you're not going to like," he said and she didn't know what he meant. "When I looked into his eyes, I saw something that I wish weren't true. All this time we've been with Zelts, he's been holding back."

Violet felt her body tense. She couldn't believe someone as strong as Zelts was actually stronger than he led them to believe.

Zelts ran to them and with some energy left from Conversion, he ran faster than usual. He tried to ram them with his shield, but they easily moved out of the way. Remus sidestepped to the right, but Zelts gripped his shield with his right arm and swung it, hitting Remus badly with a backhand using the Wings of Icarus. The force sent him flying to the wall next to Lily. She watched him slump over before trying to get back up.

Violet and Silver initiated **Thick As Thieves** to fight Zelts two-on-one. The team attack kept Zelts on his toes as their combined strength forced him to play defense and when he did retaliate they helped one another avoid it. Every swing with his wingblade was dodged or clashed with Vorpal Swords or Ceasefire and when Violet and Silver attacked, they attacked from different sides or together at a single point to overwhelm the knight.

Working together, Violet and Silver stood a chance as their former teammate was losing ground and Conversion was gradually being drained. Zelts decided to change his tactic to something he's never done with Team VRSZ, he wielded one half of the Wings of Icarus as a shield and the other as a wingblade, resembling a knight. He charged forth with a vertical swing with the blade which didn't land, but did cause them to separate, ending **Thick As Thieves**. He moved to strike Violet first. She held her own, but his new stance was little difficult to approach. It was a combination of his offense and defense, allowing him to attack and defend at the same time. She lost in strength, but won in speed as she was able to dance around his weapon to land a couple hits. Silver intervened to keep the pressure on and it worked, Violet did land some kicks, but not enough to stop her friend. Zelts spun around like a top with both weapons as wingblades and created a small tornado to sweep them away. Silver used Gravity to lighten himself so he could ride the current a little easier as he aimed with his guns. He fired several shots, but Zelts stopped spinning and blocked each one by bringing his blades together to their shield form. While in the air and as the tornado ended, Violet decided to use this in her favor as she grabbed a large amount of Vorpal Swords, turned them invisible with her semblance, and threw them at the ground initiating **Flower Garden**.

Silver saw what she did and landed safely on the ground near Remus, who stayed beside Lily to recover. Violet fell to the ground and saw Zelts run to her, but was stopped when he stepped on an invisible Vorpal Sword and a stone pillar erupted right under his foot, making him trip and fall over. Violet turned to her teammates and instructed them where to run in order to avoid the hidden weapons. They did as they successfully made their way to Zelts while Violet looked at Lily who was still unwilling to fight and it irritated her.

"If you care for Zelts like you said you did, then help us stop him," she said before running back to the battle. Lily stayed where she was to contemplate what Violet told her and her own beliefs.

Zelts was being pushed back by Remus and Silver and he stepped on a knife that released a fiery explosion that sent him flying. He fell to the ground and rolled a few feet before stopping himself. Violet ran past her teammates and jumped in the air with a Vorpal Sword in hand. She threw it and the knife landed right in front of Zelts. The knife let out electricity and it connected, with several other lightning knives surrounding him and the combined surge created a field that electrocuted Zelts and broke through his aura, but it didn't mean victory was theirs. Using Conversion, he redirected all the lightning to his left hand, preventing him from being hurt and giving his body a physical boost.

Zelts was ready to end this fight so he let loose the powerful gale with a very powerful electrical current. Violet knew it was too big for her or Silver and Remus' teleportation was ineffective because the wind was like a massive barricade, not a usual quick gust, so even if he teleported to close the distance, he would still get hit. Violet couldn't think of a better way to dodge, so she did the only thing a leader could do, protect her team. She pulled out three Vorpal Swords with lightning dust before the windstorm hit. Using the knives as a lightning rod, she diverted all the electricity onto her weapons, but it was too much energy for three knives to handle and they exploded, leaving Violet as the sole recipient of the remaining electricity while Remus and Silver was carried by the wind.

Violet screamed in pain as she and her team were swept away into the wall. The wind kicked up all the invisible knives from Flower Garden making the ground safe to walk on. When they slammed into the wall Remus was the first to get up, but his body was reaching its limit, Silver's as well, he was down on one knee trying to get up, but stopped when he noticed Violet wasn't getting up. She was breathing, but her aura was down after being hit by such a tremendous amount of lightning and her body remained motionless, even though she wanted to keep fighting. Pissed off that Zelts hurt Violet, Silver got up and spoke to Remus about one last gambit.

Silver used **Gravity Bullet** and fired at Zelts, who responded by blocking with his shield. He blocked the shot, but felt how the weight of his shield increased and he had some trouble moving it, giving the others a chance to attack with his guard down. Remus grabbed Silver and teleported very high up in the air with Silver grabbing hold of his shoulders. They were above the stadium and the audience had to look directly up just to see them. Silver activated Gravity on Remus' body to make him extremely dense. Zelts knew what they were doing, Remus and Silver were using the team move he and Silver was known for, **Starfall**.

Zelts, using the physical boost from Conversion, he was able to lift his shield and split it into its wingblade forms and with all his might, he swung both wingblades as hard as he could and the force created a blast of wind with electricity made up of the last of his energy from Conversion. Silver threw Remus with all his might before he succumbed to fatigue. Remus had his sword pointed out as he ripped through the air like a rocket until he came face to face with Zelts' attack. He ripped right through the wind, but felt the powerful electricity run through his body as he pressed his attack, resulting in his aura breaking and taking real damage. The wind reached Silver and hit him point-blank. The electricity hit him as well, knocking him out of the sky as he fell to the ground with what little aura he had left breaking on impact. Silver was done.

Remus' body was in tatters as he continued his assault, but his body gave out on him. Before he even made it to Zelts he dropped his sword midway and closed his eyes, leaving him unable to battle. His guided dive was now just him clumsily falling to the ground until Zelts dropped his wingblades to catch his friend before safely laying him on the ground. He looked at Remus with a sorrowful expression then did the same for Silver, who was knocked out, and Violet, who stared at him with a pained expression. He could only close his eyes before looking away, but they fell on Lily, his old friend.

She felt the same as she did when she first arrived to Never-End, a timid girl that couldn't stop shaking when faced with any form of adversity. It wasn't any help that her foe was Zelts, the last person she ever thought she'd have to fight and this state of mind decided the match. She fell to her knees as a sign of surrender with her head bowing in submission. Lily thought she could fight anyone, but she was wrong.

The crowd cheered for the return of the champion as he defeated three opponents on his own and forced one to surrender.

"Now that was a spectacular battle! His former title as champion was not for show, he has truly earned his place as one of the strongest in Never-End!" Jasper spoke encouraging the crowd to continue their applauds. "As the winner of this battle he ascends to the battle against the current champion, Chrome. Can Zelts defeat the one who bested him or will he fall the same way he did before?"

 **Setting: Jasper's Office**

Zelts was escorted by Absinthe to Jasper immediately after the fight. He was met with Jasper and his crooked smile. He was obviously satisfied with this whole thing turned out.

"Superb, truly splendid, need I go on?" His words were met with silence from the disgraced warrior. He didn't want to get into a verbal dance with this man anymore, he came here for one thing.

"I did what you asked, will you keep to your word and let them go?" he asked with no cards to play and no bravado to front. In Zelts' mind, he has done a horrendous thing by fighting his friends, even if it meant their freedom.

"Of course Zelts, I am man of my word. As soon as they recover, they free to leave. However-"

 _"Here we go,"_ Zelts thought as Jasper added his own spin on things.

"Violet was under the guidance of Absinthe as his apprentice, she was not a part of the Never-End battles. Her intervention was unforeseen, but nonetheless, she wasn't part of our bargain like the other two were. Isn't that right my friend?" Jasper said looking to the hunter who remained quiet the whole time he was there.

"Although she did betray you to search for her friends... I guess her fate is in your hands Absinthe, what's the verdict?" Zelts glanced to him as well to hear what he had to say.

"Despite her actions, she is still my apprentice. For now she's in the dungeon with her friends. When I retrieve her, I'll have to discipline her, severely." Zelts was upset by theharsh tone in the man's voice while Jasper paid his threat no mind.

"Well that's that," Jasper said as he got up and snaked his arm around Zelts. "It was an amazing fight and I hope your _final_ one is just as dramatic," Jasper said in his ear with a clear emphasis on final. Absinthe grabbed Zelts by the arm and took him back to his cell.

 **Setting: Dungeon**

Several hours have passed and Silver finally came to. He was the first to notice his face wasn't on the hard stone floor, but on something else, something warm, but there was purple hair was getting in his face. Remus was next to him, but actually nuzzled into what he was resting on then an arm wrapped around him. Silver realized where he was, his head was resting on Violet's shoulder with his body leaning against hers. He moved over to sit on his own and saw Remus on her other shoulder with his head nestled on her chest with her arm wrapped around his body. The boy was notorious for being oblivious to invading personal space and the boundaries between males and females, but Violet didn't seem to mind at the moment. Her eyes were closed, but she felt the weight of Silver's head leave her shoulder.

"You awake? Feeling better?" she asked with her eyes still closed.

Silver still felt a little rattled and his body was still in pain, but he was alright. "Yeah, I'm fine but...argh...I can't get over this thing with Zelts. How can he betray us?" he said and Violet giggled, something he didn't would be a response to his question.

"That's funny coming from you. It wasn't too long ago we fought and I had the same question in mind," she said to lighten the mood as she looked at him with a small smile. He smiled as well before walking to the cell gate to get a glimpse at their weapons being held down the hall.

"It's about time we stop playing their game. How soon can we get out?" he asked.

"Once Remus wakes up we'll teleport out of here."

Hearing his name seemed to wake Remus as he got up and someone else was walking down to stand before their cell.

"Hellooo," Jasper greeted from the other side of the bars with a slimy smile.

"What the hell do you want?" Silver said with anger in his voice. He was angry at the man and at himself for falling for his game.

"How rude, is that how you speak to the man that's about to let you go?" he said pretending to be hurt by Silver's words.

"You're letting us out? Forgive me if I don't trust anything that comes out of your mouth," Violet said glaring at Jasper. He looked past Silver and set his eyes on her.

"Ah, Violet Tulipe, the leader of Team VRSZ and apprentice to Absinthe, a pleasure to finally met you in person. Unfortunately, the offer does not extend to you, only Silver and Remus are free to go, as per our agreement. Absinthe isn't finished with you." Jasper was hoping to get some kind of reaction from the girl, but she didn't waver. Violet kept a strong face like it didn't matter what happened to herself.

"Agreement?" Remus repeated, sitting up and Jasper looked at him with disdain. He remembered how the boy snuffed him with his innocent handshake and he remembered how he swore he would get Remus back for that and Jasper just thought of the perfect revenge.

"Yes, before the match I spoke with Zelts and he begged for your freedom. So I gave him an offer; To battle you and if he won, you can go free." Jasper's words shocked everyone in the cell. Adjacent to their cell was Tigress, who remained silent because of her shameful display during the fight, but hearing about Zelts' bargain with Jasper caught her attention and she silently listened.

"So that's what he meant when he said he was fighting to protect us," Silver said, thinking about how Zelts had a pained expression throughout the entire fight. "It makes sense now." He felt better since Zelts didn't actually betray them, but realized something. "What about Violet? We're not leaving without her!"

"I'm sorry, but I'm a man of my word. You two will leave without your friend, I promised Zelts, even if he didn't know the promise didn't include her. He completed his end of the deal and now I must do the same," Jasper said grabbing the key to the cell from his pocket. He was about to unlock the door but stopped. "Oh, I have a marvelous idea. How about double or nothing."

They didn't understand what he meant so he continued. "An exhibition match will be held before the finals if you agree to this wager and if you win, then I'll let you all go, including Zelts, no tricks, no strings attached, just a straight fight. The only catch is your opponent is a complete unknown. Someone you've yet to face."

"No deal," Violet said feeling like here is a catch to his deal.

"This is not your concern because the person fighting is not you, I want young Remus to fight." he said pointing to Remus who pointed at himself.

"Me?"

 **Next Chapter: Breaking Point**

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **The title of this chapter is a reference to the title of the Crush 40 song, "Fight the Knight." Same band for Zelts' theme "Knight of the Wind."**

 **In an earlier chapter I mentioned that VRSZ would face opponents too much for them to handle. Zelts was one of them, he's former champion for a reason. The others include Absinthe and Tigress and one more person. The next chapter will feature the final person in this list.**

 **Zelts is a lot stronger than he let VRSZ believe but he isn't OP. The battle with VRSZ did drain a great deal of strength out of him, a little longer and he would've lost. He definitely would've lost if Lily joined. In his fight with Silver and Bianca he was holding back, but that didn't stop Bianca from exposing a weakness in his semblance and winning the fight.**

 **Stormcloud is a new combo move Silver and Remus can do. Remus uses Teleportation to create a large cloud of blue smoke to blind the enemy while he and Silver switch weapons. Remus uses Ceasefire to beat down and distract the target while Silver uses Velocitas Eradico in railgun mode jumps over the smoke with Gravity. With the railgun charged up, he fires directly above the the target while they're distracted.**

 **Remus has learned to control the amount of blue smoke that is produced when he teleports. He and the other the members of VRSZ are still learning and developing as fighters and will continue to grow as time moves on. Their semblances will evolve the more they train them.**

 **Team VRSZ has a team attack that incorporates all of them called VRSZ Fantasia. In this team attack, each member fight together by combining each others unique styles to form an improvised combination that can't be predicted by their opponents or themselves, it all happens on the spot. VRSZ Fantasia has yet to be used by Team VRSZ.**


	27. Breaking Point

**Setting: Dungeon**

"Me?" Remus said unsure what Jasper meant.

"Yes, during the battles he and Silver fought, he has gained some favor from the crowd and what I want most is to be a gracious host that gives the crowd what they want. What do you say Remus, one battle to show them all your one of the strongest in Never-End?"

"I said no," Violet said with more force in his voice. Jasper glanced at her with a face that said he wasn't talking to her.

"I wasn't talking to you," he said in a very forward manner that revealed his true insensitive nature. He looked back to Remus who looked back. Jasper was ready to bring his plan to fruition by aiming for Remus's weak spot.

"Are you satisfied with how things ended? If I'm correct, you lost two times in row. That must be quite a blow to your pride."

"..." Remus was silent as he thought about it.

"This last battle is sure to raise your spirit and if you win, you free your friends and feel better about yourself."

"..." Remus was still silent and it concerned Violet and Silver who didn't know what he was going to say.

"Remus, don't do it. We'll find another way out," Violet said, hoping he would listen to her.

"Unless...you don't think you can win?" Jasper's vague insult helped Remus make his choice.

He thought back to his defeats, all his defeats over the course of his life. _"Blood, Absinthe, Tigress, Zelts..."_

He was experiencing an emotion he has never felt before frustration. He even thought back to the time he was caught in Hazel's Pandemonium and how it made Lupa appear;

 _"Pathetic, I thought you were better than this. You're nothing like him, a real prodigy, and you are nothing more than a failure. Maybe I should find someone else to replace you."_

Remus gritted his teeth and bawled his fist. He was tired of losing and the recent string of defeats were in the back of his mind. _"I wasn't made to lose, I'm not allowed to lose to anyone!"_ Remus thought before getting up.

"I'll do it," he said with an unshakable resolve.

"Remus, do-" Violet was about to tell him to reconsider, but he teleported out of the cell to Jasper's side before she could finish. He had a different look in his eyes, Remus had something to prove and Jasper wanted to exploit that.

"To the battlefield," Jasper said as they left together despite Violet and Silver's protesting.

 **Setting: Coliseum**

Jasper walked with Remus to the Coliseum hallway and told him to stay there until the fight.

"There are some other preparations I need to make before the fight can begin, so wait here until you are called to the arena," Jasper said before leaving Remus alone. Jasper had an evil smile on his face for what was about to unfold.

 **Setting: Forbidden Cell**

Jasper walked from the coliseum to a secluded area that everyone except for Absinthe and himself are prohibited from entering. Before the man was a large cell that was so dark on the inside that you couldn't see the one inhabiting it, only growls and roars could be heard from inside.

"I never visit you, I prefer to let you do what you do best in battle without any outside influence affecting your performance. As my most treasured possession, I wish for you to remain pure and in top form," Jasper said, but was met with feral growling. "However, today is a different day, today, you will fight two opponents. One of which you fought before-" a roar interrupted him.

"Yes, someone has managed to survive a battle with you. Whether you remember him or not is irrelevant and I doubt you'd remember him, just be sure to kill him this time. I've never given you an order before, but this is a special occasion. Kill him, and kill him again, just to be sure." Jasper was met with low growling.

"And before that fight there is another you will partake, against his friend, a nice little boy who enjoys fighting, but not as much as you. His name is Remus," Jasper said with a joyful look. "I want him to reduced to nothing but a stain on the coliseum floor." Jasper said before leaving. "I'll have Absinthe bring you to the arena."

 **Setting: Dungeon**

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the time for the championship match is well underway." Jasper announced from the comfort of his office as he watched his audience go wild. "But before that, I have a treat for you all, a little entertainment to keep you all satisfied before the big match, I hope everyone is fine with an exhibition match?" The people cheered, showing they were just fine some extra carnage.

Violet, Silver, Lily and all the other prisoners were listening too. They all heard the conversation Jasper had with Team VRSZ and heard that the legendary Zelts was alive. It brought some spark into their eyes as they listened in to the fight, but they weren't as worried as Violet and Silver. Lily only met Remus once, but she held a small amount of concern for him due to Jasper's manipulation.

"Our first warrior is the speed demon himself. He fell from grace the last few times you've seen him, but he's hoping to redeem himself in this last battle before the finals. The Blue Flicker of Fortuna, Remus Cobalt!"

Remus entered the field with a serious look. The people applauded the young fighter.

"And now, his opponent is someone who needs no introduction. This beast has never been defeated in battle. The merciless monster who came to Never-End of his own accord, the unstoppable juggernaut clad in armor, your champion, Chrome!" Jasper shouted and everyone screamed from excitement. Something was coming down the hallway to the coliseum.

 **Setting: Dungeon**

Every prisoner receded back into their cells when they heard his name and Lily's eyes widened from shock and fear.

"Chrome? The champion?" Silver said to Violet. He heard the name before, but it didn't mean anything of it till now. Violet was pissed at Jasper.

"He tricked him again," she said more to herself, feeling responsible for letting it happen.

"He didn't trick him," Lily said.

"Come again?" Violet said, more angry with the situation the situation than Lily's words.

"Jasper said he wanted him to fight someone he never fought before, that part was true, but he chose an opponent that would make the battle very one-sided." When she finished explaining, she heard Silver punch the wall.

"Dammit! He made it so Remus would have a hard time winning."

"That's not the case. He plans to have your friend killed." Violet and Silver were silent.

"Chrome is... an abnormal faunus. Instead of being kidnapped, he came to Never-End for the sake of fighting and killing. His blood lust and primal instincts give other faunus a bad name." Lily paused or a minute before speaking again. "Chrome is the one who defeated Zelts, the only one, and he doesn't believe in the mercy rule, he will win and he will kill Remus," she said then heard the bars on their cell be hit continuously. They were trying to help their friend, but couldn't get out without their weapons.

 **Setting: Zelts's Cell**

Zelts's cell was empty. The bars were bent making a hole for someone to escape and all that was left in his cell was three Vorpal Swords.

* * *

 ** _Flashback_**

 _Zelts was being pushed back by Remus and Silver and he stepped on a knife that released a fiery explosion that sent him flying. He fell to the ground and rolled a few feet before stopping himself._

 _Unknown to everyone, including his team, he picked up several invisible Vorpal Swords he knew were there as he rolled on the ground._

* * *

Back in his cell, when no one was around, Zelts took out the dust-filled knives in his pocket and used Conversion to drain the dust out of them. With a boost in strength, Zelts pried the bars open, grabbed his shield and left.

 **Setting: Coliseum**

Remus looked at the person he had to fight in order to win his friends' freedom and he was a little unnerved by what he saw.

His opponent was enormous, taller than Zelts by a whole foot and an even greater muscular build. Not much could be said about his appearance because he was wearing an armored suit that cover his entire body except for one thing, a large crocodile tail. He wielded a giant jousting lance in his left arm. The weapon seemed to hold some kind of dust energy in the vamplate that looked dangerous. The faunus didn't speak, it just growled at Remus like a predator eyeing its prey.

"Place your bets!" Jasper said. Remus gripped his sword and Chrome didn't move.

"FIGHT!"

Remus ran straight for Chrome, who still didn't move. Remus increased his speed and slashed at Chrome's armor three times, but it didn't faze him. Chrome looked down at him and tried to punch Remus, but his attack only hit the ground. Remus quickly evaded the blow, but saw that his punch did make a small crater in the ground and it made him quite nervous.

"Oh dear, weak strikes like that won't work on Chrome's armor," Jasper said over the microphone and spoke in a mocking manner. "You'll have to hit harder than that."

"RWAAARRR!" Chrome roared as he lunged for his opponent and tried to skewer him with his lance, but he hit nothing again, he may have been stronger, but Remus was faster, however, Remus knew he couldn't win by being evasive alone.

Keeping his distance, he shifted his sword to its railgun form and fired several quick bolts of energy. They reached their target, but it didn't do anything to Chrome as he ran to Remus, who decided to attack with stronger strikes. Remus sprinted to him as well, quickly closing the distance between them as he struck Chrome with stronger strikes of his blade, but it still did nothing as his opponent continued with his own attacks, not slowing down in the slightest. It was a close quarters fight with neither side giving in. Chrome was failing to land a hit, Remus, on the other hand, was landing each and every attack he could muster, except his sword couldn't get past that thick armor and he was getting annoyed.

Remus was so upset with his failure to injure his foe, he failed see the large metal arm that came his way. He was clothesline and knocked to the ground before getting back up, only to be knocked back down by a rogue scaly tail. Chrome pressed on as he swung his lance to hit Remus when he got up a third time and it was successful, he swept him off his feet and sent him flying across the arena. Feeling like the flow of the battle was on his side, Chrome let out a roar that hyped the crowd.

"Oh Remus, certainly you are better than that? I thought you said you were strong?" Jasper continued provoking Remus. There were a million things a person could say to Remus that wouldn't bother him, but insulting his abilities and fighting skills was one way to get under his skin.

Remus could feel his heart beating real fast and his body felt a little hot as he looked to Chrome, who was charging for him again. He gritted his teeth, gripped his sword and rushed his enemy once more, but was moving faster than he was before. He swung his blade for an attack and Chrome did the same with his lance and the two weapons clashed, however, Remus was the only one that was pushed aside, but remained on his feet and continued his onslaught. Remus continued to fight him up close and did something out of character, he had Velocitas Eradico in railgun mode and tried to blast Chrome in the face, but it failed to land as his foe's tail tripped him up and made Remus miss. Before he could be attacked, he teleported away and had to catch his breath, but he realized he wasn't tired at all he was nervous.

Everyone in the arena could hear Jasper laughing at the Remus' performance and the audience began to join in as the entire coliseum was against him and it was starting to get to his head and his body temperature rose. For the first time in his life, Remus was experiencing anger.

Chrome was about to move to his prey's location, but didn't see him there anymore, just a puff of smoke. Then, out of nowhere, he felt his chest and left arm being attacked by something. Looking to his left he saw Remus with sword in hand and a solemn face as he struck his armor hard, not enough to pierce the it, but he felt a little of the pain from the inside. Remus looked back at him and teleported himself back to Chrome's face and slashed his chest with a horizontal strike, making the colossal faunus bend forward then he delivered a strong open palm strike to Chrome's chin in the fashion of an uppercut, teleported above him, then brought his leg down to deliver a strong kick to the top of his head. After his assault Remus back flipped out of his foe's attack range. Remus felt pain in his hand and leg from hitting the armor, but knew it was effective because he aimed for the head which was always a vital spot.

Chrome felt his own anger surge as he aimed his lance at Remus from a distance. The highly unstable dust energy stored behind the vamplate glowed red and the spearhead did the same. Red energy was forming at the tip of the lance then let loose a strong laser beam heading right toward Remus who moved out of the way as the blast hit and destroyed a part of the arena wall. Remus switched his weapon to its railgun mode in order to duke it out in long-range.

"Chrome's weapon is the same as the owner, both scream raw power. You're own weapon won't do you much good," Jasper commented to demoralize the boy he hated but it didn't slow Remus down this time.

Remus ran around Chrome from a safe distance while charging his railgun. He dodged the massive laser blasts from the lance while firing his own when the window was open. His own bolts were not doing much, but as he waited and let his weapon charge, they would get stronger. The laser blasts shot from Chrome's lance would've been devastating if it managed to connect, so Remus had to stay on his toes. With enough charge, Remus fired more powerful bolts that did have a some effect as it caused Chrome to flinch a little before firing, but it wasn't enough so Remus let his railgun charge to its limit.

He stopped running so he could aim and brace himself for the recoil. Chrome did the same and let his weapon charge to unstable levels then fired first with an enormous beam. Remus had no choice, but to fire his own laser that was much smaller in comparison since it was made for precision and power then all-out power. When the two laser beams met, Chrome's easily broke Remus's apart and was heading straight for him. The blast destroyed the wall and threatened to endanger the audience who blatantly ignored the potential danger because they were to wrapped up with the fight. Above Chrome was a puff of smoke and Remus with his weapon forced to go into sword form after releasing a full discharge.

Feeling completely overwhelmed, he gripped his spatha sword with both hands and brought it down on Chrome's back. The reptilian faunus screamed then looked behind his back to see his prey looking back with a serious look in his eye. The monster lifted his massive tail and tried to slam it on Remus, but the boy swiftly side stepped away then attacked him from behind with a flurry of strikes that were strong enough for the faunus to feel, but not enough to bring him down. Enraged, he quickly reached out and grabbed Remus by his head, dropping his weapon, Chrome landed two solid punches against the boy's body before lifting his lance again and letting loose a quick laser shot point-blank. The blast hit Remus in the gut and sent flying into the coliseum wall. He fell face first into the ground. He stayed there not moving for a while.

"Is that it? After losing twice in a row you're going for a third? I thought you would put on a grander show than that." Jasper continued making fun of the beaten warrior and so did the crowd as they laughed and cheered for Chrome's victory. The faunus turned away from Remus and bellowed to the crowd.

"Pathetic, I thought you were better than this." Jasper's words caused Remus to open his eyes.

"I guess you're nothing more than a failure." That was the final straw for Remus he remembered those words from his time in Pandemonium.

 _"Pathetic, I thought you were better than this. "You're nothing like him, a real prodigy, and you are nothing more than a failure. Maybe I should find someone else to replace you."_

They were near identical to the false Lupa's words that it sparked something in him and made Remus get up. While still facing the crowd, Chrome reveled in their cheers, but it ended abruptly when he got a bolt of energy blasted to the back of his head. He turned around to see Remus back on his feet with his railgun pointed at him, but something was very different. The look in Remus' eyes, the intensity he held in those eyes long ago was back. That same look hasn't appeared since his duel with Blood, that's when his personality changed from stoic to his current more curious, naive nature and now that intensity was back as this battle was pushing him to his limit.

He fired a full power laser at Chrome and the faunus retaliated by guarding with his arm, but the power of the railgun's laser was too much for the armor and it broke through, leaving his left arm bare. Chrome was angry that his opponent was still breathing, so he fired a laser at him, but it didn't take. Instead of dodging like he usually does, Remus stood his ground and blocked it with his sword. The laser was split down the middle by his blade as Remus stood there bracing himself until the energy wave ended then he teleported the instant it was over and appeared directly in front of Chrome. He swung his blade to cleave his head in half, but only managed to leave a vertical mark on the faunus' helmet, fueling his rage.

 **Setting: Never-End Cavern**

Outside the coliseum, Jasper's henchmen were fighting something and having difficulty dealing with the situation as they were all swept away by violent winds, some were shot, others were struck by weapons and were frozen or electrocuted. Elsewhere, a large group of people were exiting Never-End while the attacking group made its way to the coliseum.

 **Setting: Coliseum**

Remus continued to press Chrome as he fought close quarters fight. Chrome threw a fist and it was met by Remus' sword. The two passed each other then Chrome turned around to punch Remus into the ground, but his attack was dodged as Remus slid through his feet, but was caught by the tail that has given him so much trouble in this fight.

Chrome was ready to smash his skull with his reptilian appendage, but Remus rolled out of the way then swiped at Chrome's legs only serving to annoy the gladiator further. Remus backed away to catch his breath. The battle was taking its toll on him and much more than any other battle before because he felt like he wasn't making any real damage against Chrome. The intensity in his eyes was greater than ever before and it wasn't wavering.

Chrome roared and unleashed a gigantic laser blast that Remus evaded easily by teleporting to his opponent's side as soon as he fired and he was ready to strike, but Chrome had one arm holding the lance and the other one reaching for Remus. The arm with the armor blown off grasped Remus by his shirt and it threw him to the ground. Not letting up, he used his tail to wrap around Remus' body and he slammed him against the ground repeatedly, tossed him around like a rag doll before he teleported out of there. His body was shaking from pain and fatigue, but his mind told him he couldn't stop now.

 _"I...can't...lose..anymore. It's not...an option..for me. I must...I have to be...the strongest! I can't afford to lose...to anyone anymore!"_

Chrome and Remus ran to each other and started a close quarter fight for the last time. Remus' body was becoming sluggish from the burden of this fight, so he wasn't able to move as fast as he wanted. He was hit twice by Chrome's fist and the force against his smaller body was a lot to deal with, but he didn't let himself stop, even if he wanted to. He was not only hitting Chrome with his sword, but he was attacking with palm strikes, kicks, and he actually used punches, something very rare for Remus to do, but he was still doing more damage to himself than to this target. His hands and legs were shaking from pain and his aura was also taking a hit every time he attacked with his body. Chrome, feeling like the battle was his, backhanded Remus hard enough to send him flying across the battlefield then stay on the ground.

Jasper and the audience were silent as they watched the battle reach its end.

Remus got up very slowly, he was at the end of his rope, but he couldn't let himself fall here. So despite common sense telling him to stop, despite his own mind telling him to forfeit, despite every cell in his body begging him to stand down, Remus stood on his feet for one final attack not only to defeat Chrome, but to kill him. Remus started out by walking then it changed to running, then to sprinting, and now he was moving at the usual high speed he's known for. Even though his body couldn't take anymore, he broke through his previous limit and moved faster than he ever has before. He kicked up a trail of dust that allowed others to know where he has been, but they were unable to see his actual body, not even Chrome.

Remus had one last move to play, but it was one he could only do with Zelts, **Delta Storm**.

He doesn't have Zelts' tornado to help, so he had to pick up speed on his own to make up for it. Feeling that he reached his requirement, Remus kept his eye on Chrome, jumped in the air and started spinning at great velocity, then teleported. Chrome suddenly lost track of Remus, but instantly felt a great force hit his chest and push him back. Remus teleported right in front of Zelts right after he started spinning so Chrome would be hit by his pseudo-Delta Storm immediately.

The spinning force drilled into Chrome's breastplate as the faunus actually roared in pain. In order to stop it, he used both hands to grab Remus and keep him in place so he'd stop spinning. His plan was effective as the attack was slowing down a little, but not before the attack pushed him into the wall. Chrome kept his grip on Remus as his mock **Delta Storm** came to an end with Velocitas Eradico fractured from the tough exterior of Chrome's body armor, leaving only a fatigued Remus in the hands of the bloodthirsty champion.

Chrome lifted Remus then brought him down on his knee, breaking through his aura and sending an enormous amount of pain throughout his body. Chrome continued his assault by punching and slugging the defenseless Remus nonstop even as the boy fell to the ground. Remus was bruised and his body was trembling. For the first time in his life, Remus was experiencing fear. The one-sided onslaught continued and it was a horrible sight to watch. While most of the audience were enjoying Remus' beating, there were a few that stopped cheering and had to turn away in disgust. Out of tricks and tactics, he couldn't teleport away because he was losing consciousness and was trying his best to stay awake and he couldn't run anymore because his legs gave out on him and he fell on his back. The reptilian gladiator lifted his metal boot and stomped on Remus body, crushing several ribs and his right arm, making him let go of the nearly shattered Velocitas Eradico. Remus was actually teetering on the brink of death.

Located on the back of Remus' neck was his symbol, a blue Delta Triangle. While Remus was being brutally assaulted, the symbol began to glow then started flashing blue, but no one noticed since the back of his neck was against the floor.

"DO IT CHROME! KILL THE HIM! KILL THE GNAT!" Jasper demanded from his microphone abandoning all form of etiquette.

Chrome dropped his lance in order to reach down with his big hands to pick up Remus with ease, one hand on Remus's arm, the other on gripping his legs. He lifted the defeated boy and planned to use all the strength in his body to bend Remus' body till it snapped in half. He was about to do so until a shield rammed into his face, breaking his helmet and forcing him to drop Remus, who almost fell to the ground until a pair of hands caught him. The broken boy did his best to keep his eyes open and he looked at who was carrying him.

"I'm so sorry it took us so long to get here Remus. Please forgive me, you shouldn't have gone through this, you wouldn't have gone through this if it weren't for me," Violet said on the verge of tears.

She was on her knees holding Remus in her arms while Silver and Zelts had their weapons drawn and were glaring at Chrome with such fury that said they were ready to kill him.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Chrome's design was based off Garland from Final Fantasy. Both are men of great stature completely covered in armor and very powerful. The fact that he only speaks through growls and roars is based off the Meta from RvB, another bad-ass. His character is based off the crocodile in Peter Pan that ate Captain Hook's hand however Chrome isn't the one who ripped off Jasper's arm.**

 **He is a faunus with a crocodile tail, teeth, and he is very bestial with an insatiable blood lust. His primal behavior follows the negative stereotypes the people of Remnant have about faunus.**

 **Chrome's weapon is made only for offense while Zelts's weapon has some offensive capabilities but it is best at defense. I didn't realize this when I first made them but the weapons of Zelts and Chrome are based on a paradox found in a Chinese folklore. A merchant trying to sell a spear that can pierce anything and a shield that can't be penetrated. Zelts is the shield, Chrome is the spear, and Jasper is the merchant trying to make money off of them.**

 **Remus dislikes losing a lot and it has been showing in the past few chapters. There's a reason why he's so fixated on winning fights but it won't be explained for a short while. In his battle with Blood, the look in his eyes intensified and after the fight his personality changed. Remus became more positive and had a genuine curiosity about everything. His battle with Chrome brought back that intensity and the fight will bring a change in Remus' personality. The recent losing streak and the one-sided defeat he received from Chrome will take their toll on his mind.**


	28. VRSZ Chrome, Escape From Never-End

**Setting: Jasper's Office**

Jasper was surprised by the arrival and intervention of Team VRSZ. Just as he was about to press the button for security, he got several calls from his henchmen stationed around Never-End. He got a call saying that Zelts has escaped, another one saying Zelts has destroyed several sectors, another report said he broke into the dungeon and freed all the prisoners, another saying Zelts and all the escapees were running wild around Never-End, and one final report saying all the captives have escaped using the entryways exclusive for guests. He looked at the arena from his office/sky box with an aggravated look on his face.

 **Setting: Coliseum**

Chrome backed away from the surprise attack to his face. His shattered helmet fell off to reveal his face, his skin was pale, but was cracked and seemed rough to the touch. His eyes were dark brown that were so dark they could be mistaken for black and his head was bald making it hard to discern his age. One thing about him that stood out were the set of fangs he had in his mouth, not fangs from being a faunus, but regular teeth that were sharpened by a file.

Chrome growled in a lone tone as he held his hand to his face then looked at the person who assaulted him, but didn't see what was coming. Zelts charged at him with Silver right behind. Making a preemptive strike, Zelts attacked with a swing of his blades and it made contact, causing the faunus to stagger. Right after the hit, Silver came from behind and shot Chrome in the breastplate, but it didn't do anything. Seeing his attempt fail and Zelts was going in to attack with his other blade. At the opportune moment, Silver used **Gravity Bullet** to hit Zelts' wingblade to make the downward swing heavier and more forceful and it worked in adding extra damage.

It wasn't like his earlier fight with Remus, after all, Zelts had much more physical strength than his friend so his attacks have a much greater effect. The second slash cut through more armor, breaking through the armor on his other arm and some of the breastplate on his left side.

Zelts' eyes bored down on Chrome, the one who nearly killed him less than a year ago, the one who killed just for the pleasure of it, the one who almost killed his teammate if he hadn't intervened. Zelts told himself that he'd never kill a soul but now, he may have to break his code.

"Silver, help Violet get out of here now," Zelts ordered without taking his eyes of Chrome. Silver looked to Zelts.

"No way, I already know the story between the two of you and I know that you can't bet on your own." Silver was firm in his statement, but his voice still held some degree of concern.

"I'm buying you guys time to escape. You need to be with Violet, she can't fight properly while carrying Remus, she'll be counting on you."

Silver didn't want to admit it, but Zelts was right, Violet needed him much more. Zelts convinced Silver to go with Violet even though he wanted to stay and make sure his friend made it out of this fight in one piece.

"This is an outcome no one was expecting," Jasper said over the microphone. "But that doesn't mean it will be less enjoyable. Zelts, I believe now is the time for your rematch, don't you agree?" Jasper taunted, but Zelts ignored him as he stared at Chrome who was doing the same to him.

"Absinthe, I believe your apprentice no longer wishes to remain under your wing. What to do?"

"..." Absinthe remained quiet as he watched his apprentice leave the arena with her friends. Absinthe silently left Jasper's office as the other man watched him leave before setting his eyes back on the battle.

Chrome's eyes moved to Silver and Violet as they exited the arena. He charged right at them to cut them down while their backs were turned, but he was hit in the side of the head by the Wings of Icarus. Zelts rammed into him and continued to push him away from his friends until they were out of harm's way, but he was forced to halt due to the rogue faunus grabbing the shield with one hand and using his superior strength to stop the ramming attack.

Chrome snarled in a low tone before reeling his jousting lance back before hitting the center of the shield. This feeling brought back some memories Zelts didn't want to look back on. This happened in their last encounter. The energy in the lance made the large spearhead glow and the swirling energy at the tip exploded when it made contact with the shield. The force of the explosion didn't seem to bother Chrome, but it knocked Zelts back a couple feet and he stumbled in the dirt before getting up.

 _"Yeah just like last time,"_ Zelts thought as he got up. _"But I'm not the same person as I was back then. I fought for my freedom, for myself, but things are different, I'm fighting for Lily, Violet, and Silver's freedom. And to avenge Remus for what you did on Jasper's behalf. And I'm not making any promises, but you might not live after I'm done with you,"_

Chrome aimed his lance at Zelts in order to fire, but Zelts immediately thought of something and swiftly split his shield and used the wingblades to launched a gale force at his weapon before he fired. The unexpected wind was strong enough to make the faunus falter and miss his mark as the tip of his lance was pointed at the audience high up in the stands. It fired into the audience, killing several unexpected but not so innocent bystanders. That attack was enough to cause the masked people to flee the coliseum in fear, clearing the area of anymore casualties.

 _"Good, they'll run a muck in Never-End and give the others some cover. Now it's just me and you,"_ Zelts thought as he looked at Chrome. Unbeknownst to Zelts, that laser shot pierced through the coliseum stands and continued until it hit a part of Never-End's ceiling which started to crack more and more.

Suddenly, he felt something pass by and saw two identical warriors attack Chrome. Twin partisans clashed with a lance. Chrome swung his weapon to deflect the dual attack and his assailants retreated to Zelts' side. Zelts saw that it wasLlily using Gemini before she came back together and held up Flying Eagle with the spearhead pointed at Chrome.

"Why... why are you here?! Leave!" Zelts said to Lily who stood in front of him.

"No, I won't," she said, staying firm in both her voice and stance. "I won't lose you again and I won't stand idly by like I did in the last fight. I don't care what you say or do, this time, I'll fight at your side!" He could feel her determination. He knew she was right, she wasn't going to leave without him, so he had no choice but to fight with her to make sure she walks out of here alive.

Chrome and Zelts rushed to each other and Lily was right behind him as she disconnected her partisan's sections. Zelts landed the first strike by smashing his shield against Chrome's body then did it again by backhanding him in the face. Chrome was hurt, but he pushed through by grabbing Zelts' arm and tossing him aside, only to see Lily with her sections in the ground facing him. She pressed down on her spearhead and each section fired cannon blast that hit Chrome point blank.

The faunus was pushed back by the small cannon fire, but his thirst for battle kept him going as he reached for Lily, but was tackled to the ground by Zelts from behind. The two tumbled together until Chrome used his larger and stronger body to pin the other down as he stood on top. Zelts brought his shield to protect his body as the reptile slammed his metal boot down on it nonstop. Lily could see her friend was holding his own, but could only take so much so she intervened.

She activated Gemini and separated into her twins. They attacked Chrome together and knocked him off her friend, but he swung his lance for them to avoid and create some distance. The twins attacked from both sides, focusing on speed to keep him busy as Zelts got up. The strategy didn't last as long as Lily hoped because a swing of his powerful tail caught the orange twin in the gut then tossed her aside and the black twin felt the pain which caused her to stop in her tracks and clutch her gut. Chrome aimed his lance and fired a powerful shoot at the black twin, but Zelts got between them and to block. The strong blast pushed him back a few feet, but Zelts stood his ground as Lily's twins combined behind him.

As their fight continued, the crack in the ceiling grew more and more until pieces of Never-End began to fall down on whatever it landed. The situation was getting worse for everyone, including those who were not involved in the fight.

 **Setting: Never-End**

Outside the coliseum, people were panicking as the battle got too dangerous to watch and feared it would spread further, but their fears and qualms were now focused on the falling debris that was crashing down on them. Caravans, buildings, and even people were being crushed by the shards of earth that fell on them and each piece of earth only grew bigger. The weak foundation that was holding Never-End Rock was struck and the large structure was sinking into the sand. The underground cavern was beginning to collapse and bury everyone in it.

Silver took Remus from Violet as they made their way to the exit. With his semblance affecting Remus' near limp body, he didn't feel like he was carrying anything as he moved to the exit. VRSZ and the other people running for their lives around them were heading to the main exit, the same one Lily used to escort the other prisoners out before returning to Zelts. This exit was how the regulars of Never-End entered the cavern. It was a tunnel that leads to a Grimm free area and was not too far from civilization. The masses pushed, kicked, grabbed, and clawed their way to the exit, but their mad frenzy amounted to nothing as they made it to their goal, they saw that it was unusable, blocked by fallen rocks.

"Dammit!" Silver cursed carrying Remus on his back. Violet's face was crescent fallen, but she jerked her head up when she remembered something. She walked back the way they came and Silver followed confused.

"Where are we going? Silver asked not sure where she was leading them as they pushed their way through the crowd and it was tough going against the current of people.

"There's another way out," she said in a low tone so the people around them wouldn't be able to hear. "There's a lift that Absinthe uses for his car that leads to the outside. We still have to deal with Grimm, but it's a start." Silver thought about this and it brought up another issue.

"What about Zelts?"

Violet looked back at him for a brief moment then kept going. She remembered on their way out of the coliseum, seeing a familiar figure head to the coliseum to assist her friend. "I don't think we have to worry about him. He's got plenty of help."

As they moved further to their destination, they noticed how dangerous it was becoming with the falling debris and the people going insane believing there was no hope left for survival. Silver and Violet pushed and fought anyone that hindered them and Violet used her Vorpal Swords with fire dust to destroy any stones that were about to fall on them. They trekked on and was about to make it to their destination, the lift was there along with Absinthe's car on it, but VRSZ stopped when they saw a new obstacle blocking their path, Absinthe.

"Damn!" Violet said as she grabbed her twin daggers to fight the man, but she knew she couldn't win, even with the little training she received from Absinthe. However, Violet wasn't thinking about winning, she had one goal in mind, to keep Absinthe occupied so Silver can take Remus and escape using the lift, even if it meant she had to sacrifice herself. Violet lunged for him with everything she has. Violet swiped at him, but was blocked by a knife.

"That's your plan? How plain," The hunter insulted Violet as he held his ground with ease.

Silver used Gravity to jump over the two, but Absinthe used his free arm to grab Silver by the leg and throw him to the ground. Silver was, hurt but he made sure to not let go of Remus who grumbled a little from the pain, despite his low sound, his body was still in great agony. Absinthe kicked Violet in the gut and sent her back a few feet then turned to the other two. His priority was reclaiming his apprentice and in order to do that he had to eliminate anything that proved to be a hindrance, meaning her teammates. He had his knife in hand and was ready to plunge it into Remus and Silver, but a rogue Vorpal Sword came out of nowhere. It hit the knife and electricity surged, electrocuting Absinthe long enough for Silver to move out the way. The man clenched his teeth as he endured the pain until it subsided, but another Vorpal Sword hit the huntsman's legs and they were instantly frozen.

"Silver, get out of here now!" Violet shouted.

Silver looked at her knowing her intentions. "Not without you." He moved to return to Violet's side to help her up despite her defiance.

Absinthe took two red dust crystals from one of the pockets in his flak jacket. He put one in each hand, smashed them both against the ice and a fiery explosion enveloped him. While this was happening, Silver grabbed his leader and used Gravity to jump high in the air, out of Absinthe's attack range and landed right on the lift's platform. Absinthe was no longer trapped by ice, but his attempt at freedom came with the cost of injuring himself. He saw that his apprentice wasn't where he last saw her then turned to see them activating the lift with his car on it as well. Silver laughed at him and moved around in a mocking gesture despite the upsetting movement he gave Remus.

"Ha! What now asshole?! Team VRSZ outsmarted you...AND we're taking your car! Who leaves the key in the ignition, dumbass!" Silver shouted triumphant and he added the last note just to put salt in the wound. Silver's tendency to take things from foes has returned.

As the lift moved upward, people looked to it and saw their salvation. Dozens and dozens of them stampeded to the platform, but were too late to get on. Silver carefully placed Remus in the back seat of the car while Violet looked down at the sea of hands begging them to come back, but she held no mercy nor sorrow for them. They were the corrupted people who took pleasure in watching people, young children, fight against their will, so Violet felt nothing for them as she turned away until something caught her eye.

Absinthe was running then jumped pretty high, but not even close enough to reach the lift. However, he took several wind dust crystals from his flak jacket. He activated them with his aura to create a whirlwind around himself and it propelled him high enough to seem like he'd reach the platform. His ascent was slowing down and he knew he wasn't going to make it, so he took his knife and changed its form to that of a hook and it hooked onto the lift.

Violet quickly moved to kick the weapon off before its wielder could get on, but she wasn't fast enough. Absinthe made it onto the platform then immediately punched her square in the face. The force of his hit knocked her back and she slammed into the car. Silver looked over his shoulder to see his friend hurt and the man who caused her pain.

"You son of a bitch!" Silver cursed enraged.

With his hands now free, Silver grabbed Ceasefire from their holsters and let loose an angry hail of gunfire. In the car, Remus sat in silence, fighting to keep himself conscious while his symbol continued to flash on and off.

 **Setting: Never-End Coliseum**

The battle was still going on between the three strongest fighters in Never-End. No one was left in the stands to watch the chaotic battle, but one person watched with glee. Jasper couldn't look away from the result of his manipulation. He didn't care about his Never-End, his organization, his world coming to an end, he just wanted to watch this battle to the end to see who would come out on top. All he wanted was his champion.

Rocks were falling into the arena, but it didn't stop them from fighting each other. The new stones in the coliseum gave Lily some cover, but it didn't change the battle style of Zelts or Chrome. Zelts didn't need the boulders for cover and Chrome simply smashed through them with brute strength.

Zelts used his wingblades to hit his foe with wind and it kept Chrome at bay long enough for Lily to move in close without worry. With her three section partisan, she attacked Chrome relentlessly as the faunus was pinned down by the wind. The gladiator roared wildly from anger then lifted his lance to pierce her, but she used Gemini to split her body to avoid the attack and assault Chrome from his sides. Much of his armor was broken and torn from his body, mostly from his arms and torso, but it didn't stop him from fighting like a wild animal. Any semblance of intelligence was lost in this battle that pushed him more than any other fight. It was like he was truly giving into his primal nature and forgot about everything else.

Zelts almost felt the same as he fought the one that almost killed his friend with thoughts of revenge, but he tried his best not to let it completely consume him. He brought his blades together then charge at Chrome with his shield, ramming him through two boulders before knocking him to the ground. Zelts didn't let his momentum end, so he got on top of Chrome and unleashed a barrage of punches on his opponent's face. His left was just his fist, but his right had his shield and the powerful metal alloy shield packed a powerful punch when it hit Chrome in the face. Before Chrome could retaliate, Lily activated Gemini and used the twins to pin his arms down so he couldn't fight back.

Zelts kept punching and he didn't stop, even when he finally broke through Chrome's aura. He didn't forget about his foe's other appendage and turned around to slam his shield on it, so Chrome wouldn't think about using it. Enraged and with Zelts' weight slightly off his chest, Chrome used his strength to raise his arms, even though both of the Tigress Twins were on top of them and got up, making Zelts tumble and Lily come back together. They did their best to fall back as the faunus was blinded by rage and fired his lasers relentlessly. It broke through stones and destroyed the viewing sections of the arena, one even came close to hitting Jasper's office, but the man didn't flinch from watching the fight.

Lily was far from Zelts, who was deflecting each blast that came his way with the Wings of Icarus, so she moved from stone to stone, trying to make it to her friend. Unfortunately for her, a laser shot hit the stone she just hid behind and it blasted through, hitting her with the laser and debris from the rock causing her to fall over. Chrome saw this as a chance and was about to fire again, but Zelts quickly split his shield and unleashed a powerful gust of wind. The force of nature hit the faunus hard and made his lose his grip on his jousting lance. It tipped over and was pointing directly at Jasper in his office. The laser fired full blast at Jasper and his demon smile finally fell.

"Hm, my manipulation became my undoing," Jasper said as he tried to move away. The shot broke through the window and his office exploded with no one knowing if the man survived, not that anyone cared as the three contenders still fought.

Chrome was seeing red, his attacks were being thwarted and he was ready to kill Zelts and Lily. He charged the unstable dust in his jousting lance to its maximumand gripped it differently than usual, like he was going to throw it. Zelts saw this and remembered this move from their first fight, the same move that nearly killed him.

* * *

 ** _Flashback_**

 _In a different secret location in Remnant, Zelts was facing Chrome to win his freedom. During their first fight, Zelts was losing badly and Chrome's onslaught continued to drive him to his knees. Chrome gripped his lance as it charged with dust energy and glowed a dark, deadly shade of red. He aimed then threw it at Zelts who could do nothing as his back was against the wall, but put his shield up. The lance hit the shield and a massive explosion hit him and because the explosion was so massive, no one saw Zelts' body slam and break through the wall of the stadium and fall out of Never-End. All that was left in the arena was a massive hole of the outside which left the secret location forever unusable to Jasper and forced him to use the one in Vacuo as the sole base of operations._

 _Zelts fell into a nearby river and his unconscious body and shield were carried downstream by the current._ _The boy woke up in the home of a man and his daughter, who claimed to have recovered his body and tended to his injuries for the past two months. Zelts, now fully recovered, thanked the man and his daughter and decided to travel around the world to embrace his new freedom and put the past behind him._

* * *

Zelts wasn't going to let that happen again, so he split his shield into wingblades and waited for Chrome to throw his weapon. Lily got up from her injury and rushed to Zelts' side. Chrome threw his lance at Zelts who responded by releasing a powerful burst of wind that slowed down the lance and threw off its trajectory. He was ready to grab it and absorb the dust with Conversion, but he felt something on his shoulder.

"Never again." Lily said in a low tone only Zelts could here before jumping off his shoulder and reached for the lance. She maneuvered her body away from the large spearhead and safely grabbed the weapon by the handle. Lily used her body weight to perform a forward flip in the air then throw the weapon right back at Chrome who, had an angry but defeated look on his face before his weapon landed right between his eyes.

 **Setting: The Lift**

Absinthe kicked Silver off the platform and into the wall that the lift was connected to. He fell and Violet took over as she fought Absinthe the best she could, even though he was the better fighter. The rock connecting the lift was breaking, and stones were falling too close for comfort. She held her own, but felt like she was losing ground, so she needed to distance themselves by throwing a Vorpal Sword at their feet and it exploded. Violet was pushed back to the car that remained untouched from the chaos and Absinthe used his hook to hang from the lift again before getting back up. Silver was running on the side of the stony wall with Gravity and he fired several rounds at the unsuspecting hunter and it proved to be an effective sneak attack.

Absinthe tried to deflect the bullets and forgot about Violet, who slashed his back with one of her daggers. Silver ran until he was above the platform and jumped off to land near Absinthe. He used Gravity to quicken his descent and increase the effect of gravity so his body and weapon were heavy. His escrima sticks hit Absinthe in the arm and it hurt the man, but Violet kicked him in the gut. Right when this happened, a huge explosion consumed the entire arena and it caught everyone's attention, including Absinthe. Silver used this opportunity as a distraction to quickly move behind Absinthe and Violet kicked him in the jaw. This sent him reeling back and Silver grabbed the back of his clothes. Activating Gravity, he made Absinthe lighter than air and finally threw him off the platform, ending the struggle. Silver and Violet collapsed on the floor feeling extremely exhausted and fortunate they were able to sucker punch someone far stronger.

"We did it," Silver said through deep breathes. Violet chuckled as they made their way to the car.

Absinthe used his knife in hook form and had it scraping against the rocky wall to slow his descent to the ground. When he finally made it to ground level he got a notification on his scroll. It was from Jasper that told him to help him. Absinthe made his way to his destroyed office.

 **Setting: Never-End Coliseum**

Lily and Zelts watched as the smoke cleared from their counterattack. When it finally dissipated, they saw Chrome's lifeless charred body laying on the ground. Zelts was breathing heavily and fell to his knees. Lily walked to his side to help him to his feet.

"We did it," Lily said feeling fatigued but victorious.

"You did it, new champion of Never-End," Zelts said still tired, but still managed to put on a smile.

She smiled then looked around. "And from the looks of it, the last champion of Never-End."

"How are we going to get out?" she asked finally concerned about their predicament.

"I have an idea but it's a long shot."

Zelts took out a few more Vorpal Swords he hid away in his pockets and absorbed the dust in them. Lily had her section cannons face him and open fired for him to absorb all the dust energy until he reached his maximum capacity. Zelts' eyes glowed gold from a full power conversion. He gripped his wingblades, ready to start his gamble.

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **Silver told his friends he originally hailed from Atlas and Remus said he wanted to go one day. Silver told him that may not be a good idea. Violet asked if it was because the kingdom was so much like a city and someone like Remus wouldn't last a day, but Silver said that wasn't the reason. He said Atlas was crawling with android, robots and all kinds of machinations and he was aware of Remus' extreme dislike of them.**

 **"It's not Remus I'm worried about it's Atlas, they wouldn't survive a day or Remus," Silver said.**

 **Team VRSZ has been away from Fortuna for at least a week. During their absence, the reconstruction plan has advanced further, Team CLSH has been doing well in their classes and have improved their abilities greatly, and Blood learned someone ransacked VRSZ's place. It was ruined but nothing was stolen expect a certain someone's shotgun. A note with three words written on it: 'Suck it VRSZ.'** **Blood cleaned the place to the best of his ability before leaving.**

 **I forgot to mention this before, but Lily's theme song is Warrior Daughter by Wildwood Kin. I heard the song and immediately thought of her, it fits for a badass like Lily. And the 'for my armor keeps you safe' line is a reference to Zelts fighting with her.**

 **When Zelts ran away from Never-End the first time, he ran all the way back home to his family. When he made it he stood outside a window and saw his parents having dinner with a new son. Feeling abandoned and forgotten, Zelts left without saying a word and began living his own life. This part of his life he never told anyone because it's more painful than being in Never-End all these years. This part of his past is a reference to a scrapped backstory for Peter Pan.**

 **Bad news for me, Volume 4 for RWBY has begun and I have to avoid watching it so I don't draw any parallels or get any influence for my stories. Volume 2 is almost at an end and I already have the plot for Volume 3 but Volume 4's plot is an unknown. With the new information about the other kingdoms, I think the fourth volume will be Team VRSZ taking special missions as freelancer around Remnant.**


	29. A New Legend Is Born

**Setting: The Lift**

Violet, Silver, and Remus were still riding the platform to the top. They were almost there, but Never-End Rock was becoming more unstable as it began to sink into the desert sand and caused the underground cavern to cave in. The lift was beginning to fall off its hinges before making it to the top. Silver was in the driver's seat as he prayed for the platform to make it before breaking and Violet was sitting in the back with Remus' head on her lap as she also prayed to make it. Their prays weren't answered as the piece of stone that the platform was attached to broke off and they were falling back down to the ground.

Silver was cursing under his breath, Violet held Remus close while trying to think of a way out, and Remus had his eyes open as he looked through the car window at the open sky where the lift would've ended. With what little focus and energy he had left, he activated his semblance to save his friends. The falling car disappeared in a puff of blue smoke then reappeared above the hole where the lift was supposed to go. Because his eyes weren't looking directly up the wasn't going to fall back down the hole, the car fell right in front of the hole with its passengers slightly hurt, but safe.

Silver opened his eyes and saw they made it. "We made it? How?" he asked himself then looked at Remus whose eyes were barely open. Silver smiled at his friend and Violet did the same.

"Good job Remus, you saved us," she said keeping his head in her lap.

Silver drove a couple of feet away from the crumbling landmark and watched it break and sink into the sand. Everyone in Team VRSZ was hoping that their remaining member and friend will make it out alive.

 **Setting: Jasper's Destroyed Office**

Absinthe trudged through rubble and small fires to search for the man that summoned him. It didn't take him long to hear the painful moans of his employer. Beneath burning rubble was Jasper with the lower half of his buried and his clothes scorched and ruined. The man looked up and smiled when his fell upon Absinthe.

"Ab...sinth..." Jasper said through coughing.

Absinthe looked at him nonchalantly. Jasper raised his hand for the hunter to take, but he didn't move. "Absinthe...he...help me," Jasper pleaded but Absinthe remained silent and didn't make any motion to help him.

"Look at what your fruitless ambitions have gotten you? For what purpose? Entertainment, compensation, whatever your true purpose was it dies here, with you. Meaning I have no more reason to work for you or help you in any way," Absinthe said in a monotone tone. Jasper's face was one of worry as he stretched his hand out as far as he could, hoping that Absinthe would grab hold of it.

"Wh- what are you...please...we're friends." The man's usual calm exterior was beginning to deteriorate. The fear of death was overcoming him as his supposed savior was forsaking him.

"We're not friends, just business partners," Absinthe said before turning his back on Jasper. "and our business has ended."

The bounty hunter left the one-armed man to die with his precious Never-End. Jasper remained distraught as he watched the one person he thought of as his friend walk away. The falling rocks surrounded Jasper as he closed his eyes, so he wouldn't see his death, fooling himself into thinking he died peacefully in his sleep before several stones collapsed on top of him.

Absinthe left to ensure his own survival as the place was falling on top of him and the panicking masses.

 **Setting: Never-End Rock**

The giant landmark was crumbling from below and sinking from above. The destruction was causing the massive hordes of Grimm to flee out of fear. The only ones left were VRSZ that watched what was happening from a safe distance.

Remus lost consciousness after saving his friends so was resting in the back using Violet's lap as a headrest and Silver was in the driver's seat just in case they needed to make a quick getaway. Despite sitting with the wheel in his hands and foot on the pedal, Silver was frustrated that he couldn't go back to help Zelts escape. Their only way back was destroyed, the main entrance was buried, and Violet told him not to worry but he couldn't help it.

Violet looked at the falling structure with fixed eyes while absentmindedly petting Remus's head. She wasn't worried, Violet had faith that Zelts would make it out alive and that they would all go home together.

 **Setting: Coliseum**

Zelts' body was hurt, but he ignored it all so he could concentrate. Never-End Rock was on its last legs as it fell through the sands into the cavern. Many people were dying from the natural disaster, but Zelts kept calm as his eyes glowed from a full power Conversion. Lily stood by him uncertain of what he planned to do next.

"When I start, get into the eye of the storm as fast as you can, got it?" Zelts instructed Lily with a calm determination and she nodded.

Zelts wasted no time as he began his plan. He gripped his wingblades, spread his arms out, and spun around as fast as he could and with Conversion boosting his body's strength to its utmost potential. This motion and the wind dust within the blades created a massive towering tornado. Stunned by his power for a moment, Lily did as he said and quickly jumped into the maelstrom where it was safe. Inside, Zelts was hovering several feet above her still spinning as the tornado reached higher and higher. Zelts added more power to this force of nature by combining it with the energy from Conversion to create his signature Vortex dust that carried a very powerful electrical current. The force of wind kept getting taller and taller until it collided with the force of earth that was Never-End Rock and the power of the tornado was making a few dents in the large rock ,but not enough to change the situation.

Zelts increased the power by sending all the electricity in the wind to the top in order to give it more power. The great rock was cracking even more than it was before with more pieces falling off the bottom. Zelts knew it wasn't enough so he tried something he never tried before. He began to ascend higher within the tornado and the bottom of the tornado itself lifted from the ground. Lily was still inside and was be lifted as well as she watched her friend work. Zelts was doing his best to concentrate and condense the tornado as much as he could to give it the force it needed to break through.

Lily was hovering below his feet as she continued to be astounded by his abilities. She remembered this as the Zelts she knew, the one that the others spoke of as a legend even though they never met him in person but through rumors, the Zelts she admired more than anyone she ever knew.

"Brace yourself!" Zelts shouted to her before beginning his last gamble.

The towering tornado he created was condensed to a small oval shaped wind cocoon with two occupants within. Zelts then used his power to cloak the wind with electricity to act as both a warhead and a shield before jetting straight for the crumbling bottom of Never-End Rock. Despite the life and death situation, Zelts was doing something he always dreamed of, flying. He was flying higher in the air with his old friend to escape their personal hell once and for all. Even though he didn't know if they'd make it, Zelts did something he hasn't done since he's been back in Never-End, he was smiling his trademark good guy smile.

When his condensed tornado finally meet Never-End Rock, it pierced through the earth like a powerful drill. Creating for itself a tunnel all the way to the top. Zelts focused all of his power to keep this going so that they could both make it out of here alive and if not the both of them then just Lily would be enough for him.

"RRRRAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!" Zelts roared as he made one final push through the massive rock as it fell through the cavern.

 **Setting: Never-End Rock**

Team VRSZ watched the entire landmark sink into the bottom of the desert with no trace of their friend in sight. Silver closed his eyes and let his head fall on the wheel, refusing to look at his friend's final resting place. Violet kept her composure as she continued to look at the site until they heard rumbling. Silver jerked his head up when he heard it too and got out of the car with a confused but hopeful look.

Out of nowhere, something popped out of the sand where the rock once stood. He looked to the sky to see some kind of orb until it exploded, or expanded for better words. Powerful shock waves of winds were released and it kicked up almost all the sand and almost toppled the car. Silver covered his eyes to protect them from the sand, but he saw that Zelts and Lily were in the air where the orb was before.

Zelts body hovered in the sky before falling. He smiled as he watched the sun shine before he closed his eyes from fatigue. He and Lily fell from the sky, but luckily for them, Silver was already there with Gravity to grab and help them descend safely to the ground. He and Lily helped place Zelts in the passenger's seat, Lily got in the back with Violet and Remus, Silver got in the driver's seat and drove them home leaving everything that happened behind them.

They drove through the desert in silence, no one wanted to talk about their experience in Never-End. Lily looked at the back of Zelts' head as he laid there unconscious then looked at Remus, who was also unconscious with his body sitting up now that she was in the car, but he was still leaning on Violet who looked very worried. With the Grimm running away from the sudden and unexpected cave in, the ride back was relatively safe despite for Silver driving dangerously fast through loose sands but no one criticized him about it. Violet also noticed the flashing of Remus' symbol and thought it was strange, but with Remus currently unable to explain it she was left with this question in her mind.

It took a few hours, but they finally back to Fortuna, their home.

 **Setting: Vejovis**

Zelts opened his eyes to see he was resting in a bed, not his bed or any bed he recognized from his home. Taking in his surroundings, he noticed that he was in a hospital or some kind of medical facility. He was shirtless so he could see his wounds bandaged up and his body was in better shape than the last time he was conscious. He was able to move his body without it hurting much so he sat up with a tired grumble. Immediately after making that noise, the curtain next to him moved to reveal his friends who stared at him.

"Zelts," Violet said relieved while Silver stood by her with a grin. He finished his movement forward only to feel some weight on his side. Zelts looked down to see Lily sitting in a chair by his side, but fell asleep a little on his side of the bed.

"You're looking better. You have no idea how worried these two were," Silver said but he couldn't fool Zelts, deep down Silver was just as relieved as they were.

"So everyone made it out of there alive," Zelts said with a smile and got one in return from his friends.

"Yeah all of us," Silver said, but his smile went away quickly and so did Violet's when they had the same thought in mind. "Though some of us got it worse than others." Silver turned his head to look at something behind his back. Zelts leaned in a little more to see what he was talking about but he wished he didn't.

Adjacent to his bed was another with Remus laying there with his eyes closed. Zelts knew how much he suffered, but seeing the youngest member like this wreacked his heart with guilt. He lowered his head in shame for a moment before bringing it back up. "How is he?" he asked Violet, but someone else answered when they opened the door to his room.

"He was lucky you guys made it back in time, any slower and Remus might not of made it."

Clair de Lune Vantablack entered the room and stood by the young boy's side. She looked at his body with a sad face that was rarely seen by anyone.

"His wounds were critical and life threatening, but he'll survive. Remus will regain consciousness very soon but that doesn't mean he's ready to leave, with several broken bones he'll have to stay here for a few weeks until he fully recovers. I also inspected his symbol like you asked Violet, but nothing came up, however the flashing did stop when his vitals were in better condition. I'm sorry but that's all I know on the matter," Clair said while keeping her gaze fixated on her sleeping patient.

"Thank you for everything Clair." Violet was grateful that her friend was able to give Remus the utmost care.

"It's no problem at all, it would kill me if a member of my favorite team was severely harmed and I was unable to do anything about it," Clair said with the caring but mischievous smile she is best known for.

"Now, may I ask what happened to the vehicle I let you borrow?" Clair asked and Violet and Silver stiffened.

"Vehicle?" Zelts did not know what she was talking about.

"It's a long story," Violet and Silver said at the same time.

 **Setting: Unknown**

On a monitor screen, a noise could be heard coming from it. A woman looked to the screen with great worry and as she saw the same Delta symbol Remus has on his neck flashing blue on the screen. The woman was wearing a lab coat and she had a white wolf tail,showing she was a faunus. A door to the room slid open and a man with short black hair entered the room and had a smirk on his face.

"Hmph, it seems your prized possession is on the verge of dying Niveus Lupa," the man said as he looked at the monitor that automatically displayed a map of Remnant with a fixed location marked with the Delta sign.

"So that's where he is? If you'd like I could fetch your precious Delta for you. Why not, I'm feeling generous today, I'll make preparations for his retrieval in a matter of days," the man said in a bragging manner but the woman said nothing about it. She seemed more worried about the monitor or the person it was tracking.

"Remus," she whispered.

"Remus Cobalt, the time for you to complete the final stage Project New World," the man said as he left the room. Lupa looked at her colleague's back as he left her to muddle in her thoughts.

 _"Umbra Amilius, are you so fixated on pleasing your ego you'd kill a child?"_

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **I said before that each member will get new theme songs as the story progresses. Zelts received a new theme after escaping Never-End. His new theme song is Butter-Fly English Cover by KEH. The lyrics to the song help portray how Zelts feels after he finally let go of his past. The shackles binding him are gone and he feels truly free for the first lyrics also talks about flying if you believe, a good correlation to Peter Pan about being able to fly only if you believe and right now Zelts believes he can finally do that and a lot more. Zelts is much more of a free spirit now and he smiles a lot more than he did before.**

 **Zelts' ability with wind manipulation is still underdeveloped mostly because he uses his weapon for its superior defensive capabilities than offense. He still needs more practice with the Wings of Icarus.**

 **Violet explained what happened to the task force truck she borrowed from Clair and had no choice but to give her Absinthe's car as compensation. Team VRSZ still have no wheels of their own and Clair has begun remodeling the car to something more her liking.**

 **Silver believes that if they never formed Team VRSZ, Violet and Remus would still be friends because their kind of alike. Despite her serious badass attitude is the persona she takes when she is on missions, outside of battle she's kind of a dork like Remus.**

 **Vejovis is the Roman god of healing hence the name of Fortuna's best hospital.**

 **Niveus Lupa is a wolf faunus with a Latin name that roughly translates to "Snow Wolf."**

 **Umbra Amilius's name is Latin as well and roughly translates to "Dark Rival."**


	30. It Never Ends

Four days have passed since Never-End fell. A great number of people died during the cave-in though a few handful did escape the calamity, mostly Lily, the new and last champion of Never-End, and Team VRSZ, the group of freelancers that finally brought Jasper's game to an end, however, because the man's illegal fighting ring was kept secret for many years, no one knows what happened except for the people that were there. This event will never be a part of Remnant's history, however the people who were there will remember it as an eventful moment of their lives.

Zelts was able to leave the hospital the day after he was admitted since his injuries weren't severe, but Remus was stuck there until his broken bones fully healed. He was advised to stay there for at least a month or two before going home but his teammates made an effort to visit him every day so he wouldn't feel lonely. Not only Team VRSZ, but their other friends came to see him; Clair, Blood, Sterling, Onyx, and Team CLSH paid him a visit but Remus' attitude remained the same, quiet.

The other members of VRSZ went back to their normal lives, completing various missions to bring in money and live peacefully for a time. Lily stayed in town for two days but left Fortuna, she told Zelts that the lost children of Never-End were stationed in a town far away and she wanted to help them find homes or a safe haven. Zelts and Lily spent her last day together alone before she left on her journey.

 **Setting: VRSZ Base**

Zelts was sitting on the couch watching the sky through the window with a smile on his face. His attitude has changed since Lily left, he was more positive than usual and it showed. Zelts was humming to himself in pleasure until he felt the weight of someone else land on the sofa.

"Feeling good lover boy?" Silver jested with a grin.

Zelts' smile turned in to a grin as well as he looked away from his friend. "No, nothing like that happened okay." Zelts didn't want Silver to implicate any impure actions were committed when he enjoyed their last day together.

"Since we're on the topic, how's Bianca?" Zelts asked to turn the teasing onto Silver who stopped his smiling and scratched the back of his head.

"Ehehe, I actually heard from Clair that she completed her training regiment and is currently working under Ghost. Funny, she's stronger and older than him and now she works for her little brother. Given time she'll probably be his boss, she's that type of person." Silver laughed at the predicament of the siblings and Zelts did the same. Their laughter ended when Zelts thought of something else.

"Violet went to visit Remus again?"

Silver had a more serious look now. "Yeah, but she went to Onyx first to see if he could repair Velocitas Eradico. Maybe that'll cheer him up a bit, I don't know, I'm not used to Remus being like this."

"Being hurt?" Zelts asked but Silver shook his head no.

"Being sad."

"I understand where he's coming from, believe me, going head to head with Chrome is something not many people live to tell the tale. And those that do aren't really fond of the experience. After what he's been through, I don't blame him for feeling down, he just needs to recover at his own pace," Zelts explained to make themselves feel better, but it was difficult.

"Maybe we should pay him a visit too," Silver suggested wanting to visit his young friend.

 **Setting: Open Skies**

Something was moving fast through the air. Whatever the unknown flying object was it had thrusters that let it fly at high speed.

 **Setting: Onyx's Workshop**

Violet waited in the lobby with her legs crossed and her foot in the air, bobbing up and down impatiently. She looked slightly frustrated but that changed when she saw the young owner of the building appear through closed doors. She quickly rose to her feet with a hopeful expression.

"You can fix it?" she asked hoping to hear good news, but was met with Onyx looking defeated. Violet felt like she couldn't catch a break.

"Repairing Velocitas Eradico is something beyond my ability Vi, sorry," Onyx said with his bowing his head in shame.

"Why is it so difficult?" she asked wanting a clear explanation.

"Remus' weapon is...different from usual ones. When I inspected it I found that the energy running through it is from a very unique dust crystal. It serves as the ammunition for his railgun, but it's something I have no experience working with. Not only that but it's very volatile and if I tamper anymore with the already broken weapon, it might not end on a happy note. Again, I'm sorry I couldn't do anything more, the only person who could fix this is probably the person who made it."

Onyx was feeling pretty useless right now, but felt a hand on his head. He looked up to see Violet petting his head with a warm reassuring smile that made his face flush.

"Thank you Onyx, I know you tried your best," she said and it did make the young faunus feel better about himself. Violet was only hoping Remus would be just as easy.

 **Setting: Open Skies**

Whatever was moving through the air was still moving too quickly to be noticed by anyone. The terrain around it changed from forest to grasslands then to desert. The object was shaped like a human.

 **Setting: Vantablack**

Violet walked to Vejovis with Remus' sword with her. She kept it in its sheath which she strapped to her side as she made it to the hospital entrance where she saw Silver and Zelts inside at the front desk.

Remus was in his room sitting up in his bed and staring at nothing with a dishearten look on his face. After fighting and losing to Chrome, his behavior changed in a manner similar to the time he fought with Blood. When that happened his personality shifted from stoic to cheerfully naive, but now it changed to a more solemn attitude. Remus was quiet which was very rare for him and the light behind his eyes was dull like when he first met the others. He may have been silent on the outside but his head was swimming with thoughts.

 _"I keep losing._ _My duel with Blood, I lost, our fight with Absinthe...I lost, Lily...I lost, and Chrome...I'm a failure,"_ Remus was losing confidence in himself. He looked at his broken arm as a reminder of his humiliation.

His inner monologue was interrupted when the door to his room opened and he saw his best friends enter and surround him with smiles. He did his best to muster a smile even if he didn't feel like it.

"Hey Remus, how're you doing?" Zelts spoke first to break the silence.

"I'm fine, but I wished I could go home."

Violet walked up to him and placed his sword in his lap.

"I'm sorry, I wanted to surprise you by having Velocitas Eradico repaired, but Onyx wasn't able to do anything, only the creator could fix it. It's probably best if you don't use it until we figure something out, but I thought it would make you feel better if you kept it with you while you stay here."

Violet held a small smile hoping this gesture would cheer him up and it seemed to work. Remus looked at his fractured weapon and had a flashback. He remembered when this was given to him by the she-wolf faunus in a lab coat and it made his smile turn into a thin line. He was also reminded of the purpose she gave him and the way he was now was a far cry from her expectations.

The others noticed his frustrated look and it made them upset. Remus was their innocent friend, a beacon of light that brought joy and made everyone try to be better versions of themselves, Violet was the leader and face of Team VRSZ, but Remus was the heart. When he was sad it affected everyone and this moment was a good example. They always knew Remus' innocence and naivete wouldn't last forever and his near death experience brought it all to a literal bone shattering end instead of it fading away gradually as they taught him new things.

 **Setting: Fortuna**

The flying object entered Fortuna's airspace as it moved swiftly past buildings undetected by anyone until it made its way to Vantablack. It kept moving then crashed into the wall of Vejovis' upper level, specifically, Remus' hospital room. The impact destroyed the wall and it surprised everyone who heard the destruction and those who saw from the streets. Inside the room, the members of VRSZ were blown back by the unexpected force. Remus' bed was knocked over and so was he as he laid on his side while Violet, Silver and Zelts were pushed to the wall in heap with the unknown object standing before the destroyed wall.

Zelts was the first to move as he lifted his head and saw what hit them. "What...the..hell?" he said, eyes wide in confusion at what he saw.

Silver got up and looked as well. He held a similar expression. "I don't...Is this some kind of...There's no way."

Curious at what threw her teammates for a loop, Violet got back up on her feet than faced the unknown entity, only for her to look just as perplexed as them. What she saw shocked her, it shouldn't be possible, but it was right in front of her and she called out to it hoping to confirm her confusion.

"Remus?"

The unknown object that crashed into the room was a person that looked exactly like Remus with some slight differences. This one was taller, older, and instead of a sword, he carried a doubled-bladed mechanical glaive on its back with each bladed end slightly resembling a gladius sword. The other traits that were hard to notice but set the two apart was that the second Remus didn't have the long scar across his head and his eyes were the same amber color but there was a very small red ring around the pupils. The final difference was their clothing. The second's attire was similar except he had long sleeves instead of no sleeves and the colors were exact opposites. Remus' clothes were cobalt blue and the other one's clothes were crimson.

Violet was on her feet while the other two were still on the ground, each one shocked by the arrival of the second Remus. The original Remus finally pulled himself up from his toppled bed and looked at his double. He looked confused, but not to the degree as his friends.

"You're-" he was interrupted when his double saw him and immediately grabbed him by the neck.

The members of VRSZ, though unprepared, moved in to fend off the assailant but all three were easily pushed back when the double backhanded all of them onto the floor. The double let go of Remus' throat and carried him like a duffel bag as he walked to the destroyed wall. The thrusters on its feet started and it quickly flew off as fast as it appeared with Remus under his arm. The others were left defeated and dumbfounded at what they saw until Silver spoke out.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW HE WAS A ROBOT!" he shouted but was ignored by Violet and Zelts who were worried about their taken friend.

 **Team VRSZ Volume Two: Complete**

* * *

 **Additional Information**

 **The third volume will be focused on Remus, his mystery and his origin. It will probably be shorter than the last two volumes.**

 **The red bandaging around Loden's neck has a bit of history to it. Several years before Loden met the other members of CLSH she was already training her body to become a huntress. Every once in a while she felt the eyes of someone watching her when she trained but didn't see anyone. It wasn't until Loden hurt her arm during a training seesion and out of nowhere, a young red haired girl ran up to her to tend to her. The girl introduced herself as Cerise and told her how she admired Loden's determination to be a huntress, something she dreamed of doing herself. After that they began hanging out and training together. The first day of training together, Cerise gave Loden the red bandaging as a gift to commerate their new friendship. Loden has worn it every day since then.**

* * *

 **Team VRSZ Volume Three** **Chapter One : Red VRSZ Blue**


End file.
